Podcasts about hubei province

Last week, the website covid.gov looked very different, containing information on coping with covid and US research. This week it leads you to a White House webpage outlining lab-leak hypothesis – that the pandemic was the result of dodgy lab work at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The scientific consensus however continues to suggest a zoonotic crossover event. And a preprint recently published by Zach Hensel of the New University of Lisbon and Florence Débarre of the Sorbonne adds new early sequences to the evidence base. As they suggest, it doesn't seal the debate, but it certainly doesn't surprise the scientists.As the Trump administration continues to rattle swords with US science, we speak with Lisa Fazio of Vanderbuilt University who found out abruptly her funding from the National Science Foundation is ending, and Don Ingber, founding director of Harvard University's Wyss Institute about the impacts they are feeling from the federal belt tightening.Finally we learn this week of an eerie species of Hawai'ian caterpillar moth. Not only is it carnivorous, but it ties small pieces of the indigestible remains of insects and bugs found in spider webs to its case, like a gruesome, camouflaged suit of armour. Why? As Dan Rubinoff of Hawai'i describes, it protects it from the hungry host spider, making it appear as the leftovers of yesterday's dinner, or perhaps the shed exoskeleton of the spider itself.Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield Production Coordinator: Josie Hardy(Image: The view of Huanan seafood market on February 9, 2021 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Credit: Getty Images)

Today we start with China related news (Tokyo Chinatown, Chinese Restaurants, Deportations) (1:15), followed by the weekly Pray for China segment, including five focused minutes on William Milne (22:20). Finally, I share a newsletter I wrote from Hubei Province in April of 2003, when I was just 19 y/o (34:10). Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post detailed daily reminders to pray for China (www.PrayforChina.us). BTW, X is also the best way to get in touch with me. Either tag me with a question or comment, or follow and send a DM. Finally, PrayGiveGo.us has easy access to everything that I am involved in, including books, Substack, and this podcast. Chinatowns Proliferate in… Japan? (Paywall) https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Chinese-in-Japan/Just-like-in-China-Chinatowns-proliferate-across-Japan The Bee: How to Make Sure a Chinese Restaurant is Legit? https://babylonbee.com/news/9-things-to-look-for-to-make-sure-a-chinese-food-restaurant-is-legit PHD Student from Turkey to be Deported Over Pro-Hamas Comments https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/27/us/rumeysa-ozturk-detained-what-we-know/index.html https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2025/03/28/ice-kidnapped-our-neighbor-outrage-at-arrest-of-tufts-student-spreads-as-lawmakers-demand-answers/ Pray for China (PrayforChina.us) - 5 Minutes on William Milne… Sat, Mar 29 - Pray for Xixia District in the capital of the Ningxia region Yinchuan (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xixia,_Yinchuan). Ningxia is paired with the western ⅓ of Missouri for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us. I’ve traveled throughout Ningxia and share a few stories in this podcast: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/30293/episodes/11 Sun, Mar 30 - Pray for Karamay City (“Black Oil” in Uyghur) in northern Xinjiang (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karamay). I spent time in Xinjiang back in 2015, exploring and distributing Uyghur tracts. Read: https://chinacall.substack.com/p/aksu-to-okinawa Listen: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub/podcasts/30293/episodes/7 Xinjiang is paired for prayer with six of the western States (CA, OR, WA, NV, AZ, AK): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/xinjiang/ 22 Year Old Missionary Update (by 19 Year Old Me): https://open.substack.com/pub/chinacall/p/22-year-old-missionary-newsletter If you enjoy this podcast, follow or subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you use. And don’t forget to check out everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, Verse 2!

Today we start with China related news (Tokyo Chinatown, Chinese Restaurants, Deportations) (1:15), followed by the weekly Pray for China segment, including five focused minutes on William Milne (22:20). Finally, I share a newsletter I wrote from Hubei Province in April of 2003, when I was just 19 y/o (34:10). Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post detailed daily reminders to pray for China (www.PrayforChina.us). BTW, X is also the best way to get in touch with me. Either tag me with a question or comment, or follow and send a DM. Finally, PrayGiveGo.us has easy access to everything that I am involved in, including books, Substack, and this podcast. Chinatowns Proliferate in… Japan? (Paywall) https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Chinese-in-Japan/Just-like-in-China-Chinatowns-proliferate-across-Japan The Bee: How to Make Sure a Chinese Restaurant is Legit? https://babylonbee.com/news/9-things-to-look-for-to-make-sure-a-chinese-food-restaurant-is-legit PHD Student from Turkey to be Deported Over Pro-Hamas Comments https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/27/us/rumeysa-ozturk-detained-what-we-know/index.html https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2025/03/28/ice-kidnapped-our-neighbor-outrage-at-arrest-of-tufts-student-spreads-as-lawmakers-demand-answers/ Pray for China (PrayforChina.us) - 5 Minutes on William Milne… Sat, Mar 29 - Pray for Xixia District in the capital of the Ningxia region Yinchuan (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xixia,_Yinchuan). Ningxia is paired with the western ⅓ of Missouri for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us. I’ve traveled throughout Ningxia and share a few stories in this podcast: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/audio/podcasts/30293/episodes/11 Sun, Mar 30 - Pray for Karamay City (“Black Oil” in Uyghur) in northern Xinjiang (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karamay). I spent time in Xinjiang back in 2015, exploring and distributing Uyghur tracts. Read: https://chinacall.substack.com/p/aksu-to-okinawa Listen: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub/podcasts/30293/episodes/7 Xinjiang is paired for prayer with six of the western States (CA, OR, WA, NV, AZ, AK): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/xinjiang/ 22 Year Old Missionary Update (by 19 Year Old Me): https://open.substack.com/pub/chinacall/p/22-year-old-missionary-newsletter If you enjoy this podcast, follow or subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you use. And don’t forget to check out everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, Verse 2!

Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post detailed daily reminders to pray for China (www.PrayforChina.us). BTW, X is also the best way to get in touch with me. Either tag me with a question or comment, or follow and send a DM. Finally, PrayGiveGo.us has easy access to almost everything that I am involved in, including books, Substack, this podcast, and our dedicated pray for China website. Today we begin with some North Korea news (1:07), followed by a look at some 214 year old preaching advice from missionary William Milne (34:18). Next, we look at how to pray for China this week (39:20) and hear a number of stories, especially the one about the Chrisitan hotel near North Korea in Lucky Forest. This Week’s (North Korea) News Why China is wary of North Korea’s embrace of Russia https://www.ft.com/content/d4094f65-de08-4fcf-ab11-424ef152e89e Families of Captured North Koreans to be Executed https://www.yahoo.com/news/families-captured-north-korean-troops-090313885.html North Korea Reopens After Five Years https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/north-korea-reopens-foreign-tourists-special-economic-zone-pyongyang-closed-4966381 Western Tourists Shocked by North Korea https://www.yahoo.com/news/western-tourists-given-rare-glimpse-112527445.html North Korea Tours Quickly Suspended https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/2025/03/06/north-korea-foreign-tour-suspension/ South Korean Travel to China Surges https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2025/03/113_392898.html On This Day… 200 Year Old Preaching Advice from William Milne https://chinacall.substack.com/p/200-year-old-preaching-advice The Memoirs of William Milne (200th Anniversary Edition!) https://a.co/d/bALLtAf Pray for China (March 9-15, 2025) Systematically and Strategically Interceding for All of China https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-march-9-15-2025 Mar 9 - Pray for Jiaozuo (“Gee’ao-dzwah”) in heavily populated Henan Province, one of the few Chinese prefectures that I've never previously heard of. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaozuo Henan is paired up with Kentucky and West Virginia for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us Here's my Henan podcast (and more): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/henan/ Mar 10 - Pray for Jianli in Hubei Province's Jingzhou Prefecture, one of China's many million+ cities almost no one has heard of: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jianli Hubei (“Who-bay”) is matched with Illinois for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Hubei (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/hubei/ Mar 11 - Pray for Zhangjiajie City in the breathtaking mountains of NW Hunan: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhangjiajie. Hunan literally translates to “south of the lake” and is paired with both Indiana and Ohio for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Hunan (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/hunan/ Mar 12 - Pray for Kunshan City in Suzhou Prefecture in eastern China's Jiangsu Province: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunshan. Jiangsu Province is paired with Tennessee for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jiangsu (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Jiangsu/ Mar 13 - Pray for Fengcheng (“Fungchung”) City in Yichun Prefecture in SE China’s Jiangxi Province: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fengcheng,_Jiangxi Jiangxi is paired with Georgia for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jiangxi (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Jiangxi/ Mar 14 - Pray for Meihekou City in Jilin Province’s Tonghua Prefecture, home of the Christian hotel I visited back in 2003: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meihekou Jilin (“Lucky Forest”) is paired with all of New England for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jilin (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/jilin/ Mar 15 - Pray for Panjin Prefecture in NE China's Liaoning Province, a place I visited one day back in 2003: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panjin. Liaoning is paired for prayer with New York, PA, NJ & Delaware: https://prayforchina.us/states/new-york.html For more about Liaoning (& my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Liaoning/ If you enjoy this podcast, follow or subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you use. And don’t forget to check out everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, Verse 2!

Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post detailed daily reminders to pray for China (www.PrayforChina.us). BTW, X is also the best way to get in touch with me. Either tag me with a question or comment, or follow and send a DM. Finally, PrayGiveGo.us has easy access to almost everything that I am involved in, including books, Substack, this podcast, and our dedicated pray for China website. Today we begin with some North Korea news (1:07), followed by a look at some 214 year old preaching advice from missionary William Milne (34:18). Next, we look at how to pray for China this week (39:20) and hear a number of stories, especially the one about the Chrisitan hotel near North Korea in Lucky Forest. This Week’s (North Korea) News Why China is wary of North Korea’s embrace of Russia https://www.ft.com/content/d4094f65-de08-4fcf-ab11-424ef152e89e Families of Captured North Koreans to be Executed https://www.yahoo.com/news/families-captured-north-korean-troops-090313885.html North Korea Reopens After Five Years https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/north-korea-reopens-foreign-tourists-special-economic-zone-pyongyang-closed-4966381 Western Tourists Shocked by North Korea https://www.yahoo.com/news/western-tourists-given-rare-glimpse-112527445.html North Korea Tours Quickly Suspended https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/2025/03/06/north-korea-foreign-tour-suspension/ South Korean Travel to China Surges https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2025/03/113_392898.html On This Day… 200 Year Old Preaching Advice from William Milne https://chinacall.substack.com/p/200-year-old-preaching-advice The Memoirs of William Milne (200th Anniversary Edition!) https://a.co/d/bALLtAf Pray for China (March 9-15, 2025) Systematically and Strategically Interceding for All of China https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-march-9-15-2025 Mar 9 - Pray for Jiaozuo (“Gee’ao-dzwah”) in heavily populated Henan Province, one of the few Chinese prefectures that I've never previously heard of. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaozuo Henan is paired up with Kentucky and West Virginia for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us Here's my Henan podcast (and more): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/henan/ Mar 10 - Pray for Jianli in Hubei Province's Jingzhou Prefecture, one of China's many million+ cities almost no one has heard of: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jianli Hubei (“Who-bay”) is matched with Illinois for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Hubei (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/hubei/ Mar 11 - Pray for Zhangjiajie City in the breathtaking mountains of NW Hunan: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhangjiajie. Hunan literally translates to “south of the lake” and is paired with both Indiana and Ohio for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Hunan (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/hunan/ Mar 12 - Pray for Kunshan City in Suzhou Prefecture in eastern China's Jiangsu Province: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunshan. Jiangsu Province is paired with Tennessee for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jiangsu (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Jiangsu/ Mar 13 - Pray for Fengcheng (“Fungchung”) City in Yichun Prefecture in SE China’s Jiangxi Province: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fengcheng,_Jiangxi Jiangxi is paired with Georgia for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jiangxi (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Jiangxi/ Mar 14 - Pray for Meihekou City in Jilin Province’s Tonghua Prefecture, home of the Christian hotel I visited back in 2003: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meihekou Jilin (“Lucky Forest”) is paired with all of New England for prayer: www.PrayforChina.us For more about Jilin (incl. my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/jilin/ Mar 15 - Pray for Panjin Prefecture in NE China's Liaoning Province, a place I visited one day back in 2003: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panjin. Liaoning is paired for prayer with New York, PA, NJ & Delaware: https://prayforchina.us/states/new-york.html For more about Liaoning (& my podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/Liaoning/ If you enjoy this podcast, follow or subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you use. And don’t forget to check out everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, Verse 2!

“Our Teacher” is a collection of essays written by students of Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong). This series is comprised of their personal experiences with the practice and their interactions with its founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi, when the practice was first taught to the public. The writings were originally published on the Minghui […]

From December 7 to 11, the 4th China-Africa Future Leaders' Dialogue is held in Hubei Province under the theme "Partners Working Hand in Hand for Modernization." As a key step to implement the outcomes of the 2024 FOCAC Summit, youth representatives from 14 African countries visited Yichang and Wuhan, engaging in meaningful exchanges with their Chinese counterparts on modernization. Three young African delegates share their insights and takeaways on how these experiences could contribute to the development of their home countries.

Last time we spoke about the beginning of the Chinese Civil War. By early 1927, Chiang Kai-Shek had assembled a team of right-wing KMT members and anti-communist allies like Dai Jitao and Wu Tiecheng, strategizing to sever ties with the Soviet Union and garner support from local gentry, merchants, and international diplomats. Despite publicly maintaining a façade of supporting the Soviet alliance, Chiang Kai-Shek was secretly preparing an anti-communist campaign. The turning point came on April 12, 1927, when Chiang's forces, with the help of the Green Gang, launched a brutal attack on CCP members and workers in Shanghai, marking the beginning of the Shanghai Massacre. This violent crackdown spread across the country, leading to the collapse of the first united front between the KMT and CCP. In the aftermath, the CCP called for mobilization against the KMT, sparking further conflicts such as the Wuhan-Nanjing war and the Nanchang Uprising. Key CCP leaders like He Long and Zhou Enlai emerged during this period, setting the stage for the next phase of the Chinese Civil War.   #119 The Nanchang & Autumn Harvest Uprisings Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. We left off in the midst of the Nanchang uprising. On August the 1st the CCP 2nd front army had successfully inflicted 3000 casualties and captured more than 5000 small arms of various types, 700,000 rounds of ammunition and a few cannons. With more and more CCP aligned units arriving the army needed to be reorganized. It was decided the uprising army would continue to use the designation of 2nd front army of the NRA with He Long serving as its commander in chief and Ye Ting as his deputy. Ye Ting would also command the 11th army consisting of the 24th, 25th and 10th divisions, Nie Rongzhen would be his CCP party representative; He Long would command the 20th Army consisting of the 1st and 2nd divisions with Liao Qianwu as his CCP party representative. Zhou Enlai with Zhu De as his deputy would lead the 9th army with Zhu Kejing as his CCP party representative. Altogether they were 20,000 strong and now very well armed.  On August 2nd, tens of thousands of people gathered in Nanchang to celebrate the great victory and the establishment of the revolutionary committee. This drew a large number of new recruits, particularly young students. Upon hearing the news of the uprising, Wang Jingwei urgently dispatched Zhang Fakui and Zhu Peide to quell the uprisers. On August the 3rd in accordance with orders from the CCP Central Committee the 2nd front army withdrew from Nanchang heading south along the Fu River. This withdrawal became known as the “little long march”. They planned to enter Guangdong province via Ruijin and Xunwu where they would first occupy Dongjiang. They hoped there they could develop further forces, perhaps gain foreign aid and if all went spectacularly capture Guangzhou. Upon entering Jinxian county, the commander of the 10th Division, Cai Tingkai expelled the communists from his ranks and instead took his division northeast into Jiangxi leaving the movement. A large reason he was able to pull this off was because the 2nd front army had been too hastily reorganized. The troops rushed into new formations and left Nanchang far too fast. The conditions of their march were also rough, it was a scorching hot week. By the time they made it to Linchuan on August 7th, they now numbered 13,000.  They rested in Linchuan for 3 days then continued advancing southwards. On August 25th, their vanguard reach Rentian of Ruijin county. Li Jishen the commander of the NRA 8th route army was stationed in Guangdong. Li Jishen dispatched 9000 troops led by Qian Dajun from Ganzhou over to Huichang and around Ruijin to block the advance of the Reds. He also transferred 9000 troops led by Huang Shaohongs army based in Nanxiong and Dayu over to Yudu to support Qian Dajun. The CCP Front Committee took advantage of the fact Qian and Huang's armies were not yet fully concentrated in the area, unleashing a one by one attack. On the 26th the Red's attacked Rentians defenders, routing them and capturing Ruijin county. They then concentrated their forces to attack the main portion of Qian Dajun's army in Huichang. After a fierce 4 day battle they managed to capture Huichang county. The Red's reported inflicting over 6000 casualties upon Qian Dajun's army and capturing over 2500 guns while suffering 2000 casualties. Then in early September the Reds repelled an attack by Huang Shaohongs forces near Luokou just due northwest of Huichang. Having survived the encounter, the Reds withdrew to Ruijin, one unit after another, then they changed their route to head east, passing through Changting and Shanghang in Fujian province. From there they headed south along the Tingjiang River and Hanjiang river. On the 22nd, the 25th Division of the 11th Army occupied Sanheba in Dapu county of Guangdong province. Meanwhile the main force continued southwards and occupied Chao'an and Shantou by the 23rd. During this period Li Jishen ordered the remnants of Qian Dajun's army to try and contain the 25th Division and Huang Shaohongs army to attack Chao'an via Fengshun. He also dispatched Chen Jitang and Xue Yue with 3 divisions, roughly 15,000 men from the East Route to advance eastwards from Heyuan hoping to force a decisive battle. By the way for Pacific War fans, Xue Yue will become one of China's greatest Generals. Just a little bit about him. He was born to a peasant family in Xiaopingshi village of Guangdong in 1896. In 1907 he entered the Huangpu military primary school and two years later he joined the Tongmenghui. In 1917 he was admitted to the 6th class of the Baoding Military academy. The next year however he departed in July to join Dr Sun Yat-Sen and Chen Jiongming's new army in Guangzhou. He entered their army as a captain following the army into Fujian where he helped capture over 20 counties centered around Zhangzhou. In 1920 he help attack the Guangxi army of Cen Chunxuan where the commander of the 1st division, Deng Keng, appointed him as a major commanding a machine gun company. The following year the machine gun company expanded into a battalion. In 1921 Deng Keng ordered a personal guard to be formed to protect Dr Sun Yat-Sen, with Xue Yue, Ye Ting and Zhang Fakui as the commanders of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd battalions.  In March of 1922 when Chen Jiongming went to war with Dr Sun Yat-Sen, Xue Yue escorted his family to Guangzhou. There he defended the presidential palace where a 10 hour battle emerged nearly seeing Dr Sun Yat-Sen killed. Xue Yue and some of his men got Dr Sun Yat-Sen and his family away to safety as he led a campaign to quell Chen Jiongmings rebellion. As Chiang Kai-Shek led troops to attack Chen Jiongming, Xue Yue was appointed major general adjutant and chief of staff of the 1st division of the Guangdong army. In 1925 he served as deputy commander of the 14th division of the 1st NRA Army. During the campaign heading east, Xue Yue proved himself a brilliant commander, enough so to receive personal praise from Chiang Kai-Shek via telegram. During the Northern Expedition Xue Yue helped capture Jiangxi, Changsha, Liuyang and Nanchang. He was promoted to commander of the 1st division as the NRA invaded Zhejiang and led men to capture Hangzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai. However after the Shanghai massacre, Xue Yue made the rather poor decision of publicly calling for Chiang Kai-Shek to be arrested for being a counterrevolutionary. He was quickly purged from the 1st Army, fled for Guangdong where he found a new post as a divisional commander under Li Jishen. Back to our story, the CCP Front Committee decided to establish a 3rd division of the 20th army and stationed them at Chaoshan. Thus there 6500 men were positioned to meet the enemy's advance. On September 28th the main bulk of the Red army encountered the East Route Army near Shanhu in Jieyang county. The Reds managed to defeat them and marched upon Tangkeng where they fought a fierce battle near Fenshui village, a monument to that battle exists there to this day. By the 30th, the Reds had suffered another 2000 casualties and were unable to put up much of a fight so they pulled back to Jieyang. That night Huang Shaohongs men recaptured Chao'an.  On October 3rd the Red army evacuated Chaoshan and advanced to Haifeng, passing through the Lianhua Mountain. However enroute they were intercepted by the East Route Army, leading to a bloody battle where they were broken badly. Units and commanders dispersed, with one large force of 1300 making it to Haifeng. The Reds had suffered a disastrous and decisive defeat with only over a 1000 troops remaining as a complete unit, who would later reform into a regiment. Zhu De and Chen Yi faked their names and sought refuge amongst a local Hunanese warlord. Starting basically from scratch they turned their little force into a 10,000 strong army who would go on to fight in the border areas of Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Hunan, managing to save 800 Reds who were simultaneously performing an uprising in southern Hunan.  Countless were arrested, deserted or went into exile. Zhou Enlai, Ye Jianying and Ye Ting lost contact with the others and fled to British Hong Kong, with Zhou Enlai becoming seriously ill. The three had two pistols with them and were successful in reaching Hong Kong. Nie Rongzhen, the other communist leader, also successfully escaped to Hong Kong. He Long who had strongly opposed the little long march plan, accurately pointed out that marching 1000 miles in the blazing heat of summer would put too much strain on the troops and that the Hunan would have been a better place to set up shop rather than Guangdong. He Long simply took up and went home, demoted from his position as commander. It is said he became a beggar and was not well received by his family. Yet he would rise back up and lead a 3000 man strong Red Force who would later be wiped out by the KMT. By April of 1928 these forces would contribute to the Autumn Harvest Uprising, something we will talk about later. The Nanchang Uprising saw the first shots in armed resistance against the KMT. It was also when the CCP officially declared their firm stance against the KMT and marked the beginning of their journey to create their own military. Within the vacuum of hundreds of smaller uprisings, the Nanchang Uprising alongside two other events we will talk about, the Guangzhou Uprising and Autumn Harvest Uprising are the three more important uprisings during this period of time.  Back on August 7th, the CCP Central Committee held an emergency meeting in Hankou known as the “August 7th Meeting”. Here they abandoned Chen Duxiu's right-wing appeasement strategy and determined a new policy that would involve implementing land revolution and armed uprisings. They called upon the entire party and people of China to resist the KMT. This saw widespread uprisings spring up all over the place. One of their largest campaigns was referred to as the Autumn Harvest Uprising, which would be performed in Hunan, Hubei, Guangdong and Jiangxi where the foundation of the workers and peasants movement was the highest. A lot was debated about how to perform such a campaign. Many called for making the peasant association the center of it by declaring them a type of local government, whence they the CCP would seize all of the power from them. In addition to seizing rural power, they needed the backing of urban workers and the poor. Many pointed out the Autumn Harvest Uprising like the Nanchang Uprising should have the main purpose of launching a land revolution. It would be optimal of it was launched simultaneously in Hunan centered around Hengyang, Changsha and if possible at Baoqing.  After their August 7th conference the CCP Central Committee sent one Mao Zedong and Peng Gongda, at the time alternate members of the Provisional Political Bureau to Hunan to reorganize the Hunan Provincial committee. For the Autumn Harvest Uprising Mao Zedong was appointed the Central Special Commissioner with Peng Gongda as Secretary of the Provincial Committee. Now we haven't spoken about Mao Zedong in some time. I think the last time we left off about him was with the founding of the CCP party. In 1921 alongside those like Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao, he too was a founder and he began setting up a branch of the CCP in Changsha. Within Hunan he also established a branch of the Socialist Youth Corps and Cultural Book Society, who opened a bookstore to spread communist literature throughout the province. During the warlord era, Mao Zedong was involved in the struggle for Hunan autonomy. Mao Zedong hoped a Hunanese constitution might increase civil liberties, thus making his work to cause a communist revolution easier. The movement was successful at establishing a provincial autonomy under a Hunanese warlord, but Mao Zedong would find that not quite optimal. By that same year of 1921, communist groups had sprung up in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Jinan and Changsha, and on July 23rd it was decided to form a central meeting. The first session of the national congress of the CCP was in Shanghai, attended by 13 delegates, one being Mao Zedong. However, undercover police infiltrated the congress, forcing the delegates to hop on a boat near Jiaxing in Zhejiang to escape. Although Soviet and CCP delegates attended the first congress pretty much ignored Lenin's advice to temporarily accept an alliance between them and the bourgeois democrats who were also espousing a national revolution, ie: the KMT. Instead many in the CCP sought to stick strictly to the Marxist belief only an urban proletariat could cause a real communist revolution. At that point Mao Zedong was the party secretary for Hunan, working out of Changsha. In August he founded the “self study university” where readers could gain access to revolutionary literature. He also joined the YMCA Mass Education Movement to combat illiteracy, though it should be noted he had a huge habit of editing textbooks to fit his communist ideals.  He continuously organized worker strikes, particularly against the warlord governor of Hunan, Zhao Hengti. Some of these successful strikes were the Anyuan coal mine strikes, which saw both bourgeois and proletarian methodology incorporated. Mao Zedong had mobilized many walks of life, miners, gentry, military officials, merchants, Triads and even members of the Church. His work in the Anyuan mines also involved his wife Yang Kaihui who was fighting for women's rights. She sought to increase women's literacy, education and political power within peasant communities. Mao Zedong and Yang Kaihui were not irregular in advocating for women's rights amongst the communist leaders, but they would be some of the most effective. Because of Mao Zedong's success in the Anyuan mines, Chen Duxiu invited him to become a member of the CCP Central Committee. Mao Zedong failed to make it to the second congress of the CCP in Shanghai, held in July of 1922, with the excuse he lost the address. There the CCP delegates agreed to forming the first united front. Mao Zedong enthusiastically agreed to this decision, arguing for an alliance across China's socio-economic classes. Mao Zedong's work in the first united front would see him become the chief of propaganda for the KMT. Mao Zedong was a vocal anti-imperialist with a lot of his writing directed against the governments of the UK, US and Japan. At the third congress of the CCP in Shanghai in June of 1923, the delegates reaffirmed their commitment to the first united front. Here Mao Zedong was elected to the Party Committee and took up residence in Shanghai. At the first KMT congress held in Guangzhou in 1924, Mao Zedong was elected as an alternate member of the KMT Central Executive Committee where he would put forward resolutions to decentralize power to the urban and rural bureaus. His enthusiastic support for the KMT would earn him suspicion from colleagues such as Li Lisan who had worked closely with him in Hunan. After the KMT congress he went to Shaoshan where he found the peasants were becoming increasingly restless. Many had seized land and wealth from local landowners. This convinced Mao Zedong that peasants were an effective revolutionary force, something the KMT leftists were proposing, but not the CCP at the time. Later Mao Zedong would be one of many in the CCP calling for an end to the first united front in the face of major grievances. However Borodin continuously advised not to break off with the KMT. In the winter of 1925, Mao Zedong fled for Guangzhou after receiving a lot of heat for revolutionary activities. He led the 6th term of the KMT's peasant movement training institute, the first government sponsored training institute for rural political activities. Here Mao Zedong was secretly training and preparing militants while also teaching them basic socialist theory. When Sun Yat-Sen died and Chiang Kai-Shek rose to power, Mao Zedong supported his NRA and their northern expedition. Yet in the wake of the northern expedition Mao Zedong was helping the peasants rise up and seize the land of wealthy landowners, in many cases with violence. It was this type of behavior that began to really ruffle the feathers of the KMT leaders who of course were landowners themselves. In March of 1927 Mao appeared at the 3rd Plenum of the KMT central executive committee in Wuhan, who were actively trying to strip Chiang Kai-Shek of his power and bolster Wang Jingwei in his stead. Mao Zedong played an active role, pushing peasant issues, arguing for the death penalty to be exacted on those found guilty of counter revolutionary activity, justifying it by simply stating “peaceful methods cannot suffice”. In April Mao Zedong was appointed to the KMT's 5 member central land committee where he urged peasants to stop paying rent. He then put into motion a draft resolution for land acquisition calling for the confiscation of land belonging to "local bullies and bad gentry, corrupt officials, militarists and all counter-revolutionary elements in the villages". Mao Zedong then carried out a "Land Survey", stating that anyone owning over 30 mou (four and a half acres), which constituted 13% of the population at the time, were uniformly counter-revolutionary. Many of his colleagues thought he was going too far, some not far enough. In the end only some of his suggestions were partially implemented.  When the Wuhan-Nanjing war broke out, Chiang Kai-Shek performed the Shanghai Massacre, beginning the White Terror. The CCP state more than 5000 communists were killed by the hands of the Green Gang in Shanghai. Over in Beijing Zhang Zuolin performed his own little white terror taking the life of those like Li Dazhao. In May the CCP claim tens of thousands of communists and their suspected allies were murdered, perhaps up to 25,000. The CCP contuined to support the Wuhan government, somthing Mao Zedong supported initially. Yet by the time of the CCP's 5th Congress he had changed his mind and was staking all of his revolutionary hope of peasant militias. It really did not matter as the Wuhan government performed its own white terror, albeit less violent in july. The CCP then founded the Workers and Peasants Red Army of China to go to war with Chiang Kai-Shek. Thus this brings us back to our story about the Autumn harvest uprising. In mid August, Mao Zedong and Peng Gongda arrived in Changsha. For the later half of August they helped reorganize the Hunan Provincial Committee where the issue of how to launch the Autumn harvest uprising was discussed. Mao Zedong proposed narrowing the scope of the uprising after the results of the Nanchang uprising. Regarding the area for the uprising, it was agreed it should not be too large, and should be concentrated around 7 counties. They needed to rely solely upon the power of the peasants, with roughly 1-2 regiments as a military backbone. They would no longer fly the KMT banner, now it would be the Red flag of the CCP. During the meeting a firm agreement was made regarding land distribution: "The current land revolution has reached the stage of fundamentally abolishing the land rent system and overthrowing the landlord regime. At this time, the party's policy towards farmers should be that the poor peasants lead the middle peasants, capture the rich peasants, and overthrow the landlord system. This is the land revolution." Mao Zedong emphasized at the meeting: “Our party's previous mistake was to ignore the military. Now we should seize power and build power on the barrel of a gun." To usher in the Autumn Harvest uprising the Hunan Provincial Party Committee decided to establish two leading organizations: the first was the Front Committee composed of various troops with Mao Zedong leading them, the other was the Action Committee composed of county committees, their leadership and Yi Lirong would lead them. The uprising was scheduled to begin on September 9th, with the destruction of a railway. On the 11th all counties would revolut simultaneously. On the 15th Changsha would revolt and on the 16th Changsha would be captured. At that time Red Army forces were stationed in Xiushui, Tonggu, Anyuan and along the border area of Hunan and Jiangxi. In early September Mao Zedong arrived in Anyuan and Tonggu preparing the military leaders. It was decided the forces in Xiushui, Tonggu, Anyuan and a few local counties would unify into the 1st Division of the 1st Workers and Peasants Revolutionary Army. The division was roughly 5000 men, with Lu Deming as its commander in chief and Yu Shadu as the 1st division's commander. The 1st division held 3 regiments; the 1st regiment at Xiushui composed of the former National Revolutionary Army Second Front Army Headquarters Guard Regiment, Pingjiang Workers and Peasants Volunteer Corps and the Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Chongyang and Tongcheng Counties in Hubei Province; the 2nd regiment located in Anyuan, was composed of the Anyuan Workers' Picket Team, Anyuan Mine Police Team and some Peasant Self-Defense Forces in Anfu, Yongxin, Lianhua, Pingxiang and Liling Counties; the 3rd Regiment, located in Tonggu, was composed of the Liuyang Workers and Peasants Volunteer Corps and the Guard Regiment, and part of the Pingjiang Workers and Peasants Volunteer Corps.  The plan was for the 1st Regiment to capture Pingjiang; the 2nd regiment would capture Pingxiang and Liling and the 3rd regiment would capture Liuyang. Afterwards the regiments would simultaneously march upon Changsha, hopefully with the full cooperation of peasant armies who were performing uprisings in various counties as well as the urban workers in Changsha would perform their own uprising. On September 9th, 60 railway workers in Changsha began destroying the railway lines from the city to Yueyang and Zhuzhou. On the 11th the 1st Red division launched the uprising. The 1st regiment departed Xiushui and Zhajin advancing to Changshou street via Longmen. Their main bulk entered Jinping when they were suddenly attacked by the Qiu Guoxuan regiment, this was the remnants of the Guizhou warlord Wang Tianpei. The troops were scattered after losing 200 men and their weapons. The forces then moved quickly towards Pingjiang and Liuyang counties, trying to get closer to the 3rd regiment. The 3rd regiment at this time was under the direct command of Mao Zedong who managed to capture Baisha in Liuyang county during the afternoon. On the 12th he captured Dongmen City, annihilated a great part of the warlord forces there. On the 14th two KMT battalions counterattack Dongmen City. The 3rd regiment fought them for several hours before moving to Shangping. Meanwhile the 2nd regiment departed Anyuan and attacked Pingxiang, failing to take it. On the 12th they turned to Laoguan due west of Pingxiang. With cooperation from a peasant uprising they managed to capture Liling county where they also defeated one KMT battalion, capturing a lot of weapons and rescued 300 communist prisoners. On the 14th another two KMT battalions from Changsha, another from Pingxiang all counterattacked Liling. The 2nd regiment immediately turned north to attack Liuyang county on the 15th, but the KMT forces caught up to them inflicted severe casualties. By the 17th Mao Zedng ordered all the regiments to concentrate in Wenjia city due southeast of Liuyang city. At this point the Red Army broke into separate offensives. Workers and peasants were performing uprisings in Pingjiang, Liuyang, Liling, Zhuzhou, Anyuan and other places. Their successes were of varying scales. Some of these peasant and worker armies were armed with nothing more than spears, broadswords, some had small arms. They resorted to house to house warfare, storming buildings, trying to capture guns. They massacred the gentry and landowning classes as they found them hiding in their homes. Red army forces aided those in Liling and Liuyang, managing to capture the county seats, establishing revolutionary regimes. The uprising in Zhuzhou saw its railway station captured, disrupting a lot of transportation. The uprisings in Pingjiang failed to gain the cooperation of the workers and peasants, so three guerilla units were formed who raided the local area. Overall however, the peasant and worker leaders were being arrested en masse by KMT officials. The peasants and workers became afraid they would be caught up in the White Terror slaughter, thus the uprising ultimately failed. The large workers uprising that was supposed to break out in Changsha never formed.  On the 19th the entire 3rd regiment, the remnants of the 1st regiment and scattered members of the 2nd regiment arrived in Wenjia city one after another. That night Mao Zedong presided over a CCP Front Committee meeting, to analyze the situation and figure out what to do with their forces. They quickly decided to abandon attempts to capture Changsha. Their remaining forces at Pingjiang and Liuyang departed as the KMT were hunting them down, pushing them south along the Luoxiao Mountains. On the 20th the departed Wenjia city heading towards Shangli city. It was there they learned there were KMT troops assembling in Pingxiang, so they turned towards Luxi on the 24th. They then continued south, but were soon ambushed by KMT forces. Lu Deming was killed during the battle leaving the army leaderless, seeing heavy casualties. On the 26th the Red forces attacked and occupied Lianhua and by the 29th entered Sanwan Village in Yongxin COunty. This time they were down to less than 1000 men, morale had collapsed. Their leadership began reorganizing at Sanwan, they referred to their surviving force as the 1st regiment of the 1st Division of the 1st Red Army. In reality they only had two battalions in strength. However their reorganization efforts at least saw them form proper companies and the implementation of a more democratic system. Afterwards they continued south arriving at Gucheng in Ninggang county on October 3rd. There Mao Zedong presided over another CCP Front Committee meeting. They studied everything that had gone wrong with the Autumn Harvest Uprising. They made plans for establishing bases of operations for the two battalions then led by Yuan Wencai and Wang Zuo. After the meeting, Mao Zedong led the forces to Maoping on the 7th. From there they moved to Suichuan county in Jiangxi. Then they moved a great distance through Hunan province to Ciping sitting in Jinggang Mountain, the middle section of the Luoxiao Mountain Range by the 27th. From here onwards their force under the leadership of Mao Zedong would establish a revolutionary base of operations. The Autumn Harvest Uprising was the first time the CCP flag was publicly raised in an armed struggle. It was done to showcase to the people of China the determination of the CCP to independently lead a revolutionary war. After the failed uprising, Mao Zedong really began to take charge of the situation. He ditched the original central committee's plan to capture Changsha and instead marched a great distance into the deep rural areas where the KMT were at their weakest. He sought to embark on a guerilla warfare campaign within the countryside. Here in these remote places they would establish revolutionary bases, preserving and developing Red Armies.The cost of the failure is honestly very difficult to estimate. There are claims the anti-communist mass killings in Hunan alone saw 80,000 killed in Liling alone, and perhaps up to 300,000 in areas like Chaling, LEiyang, Liuyang and Pingjiang.  Meanwhile going back in time a bit to August of 1927. The failed Nanchang uprising gradually spilt southwards to the Dongjiang area of Guangdong. On the 7th the CCP Central Committee held an emergency meeting, where Chen Duxiu was criticized for his appeasement of the KMT right wing. It was also during this meeting, the CCP formalized how they would go about implementing a land revolution and armed uprisings. On the 20th Zhang Tailei, the secretary of the Guangdong CCP provincial committee, discussed plans for a provincial wide uprising. They would mobilize the workers and peasants to hold riots in key locations within Guangdong, particularly Guangzhou. Thus another major uprising was about to be unleashed. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Autumn Harvest Uprising was a bold move by the CCP. As the Wuhan and Nanjing KMT government unleashed their separate white terrors, the CCP were trying to not only survive the onslaught, but to formulate their own revolutionary movement. Within the emerging communist vacuum it seemed Mao Zedong had found his calling and was striving to reach the top. 

​Ma Dan is an experienced art and dance teacher from Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. Between 2016 and 2022, she volunteered to teach music and dance in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. By forming the first Tibetan-styled cheerleading team and assisting students to succeed in college auditions for performing arts, her passion for teaching and mentoring has broadened the horizons of her students in remarkable ways. In this episode, let's explore how she has guided her students to discover purpose in life and foster personal growth.

Happy Duanwu Festival! Join us on a special episode of Takeaway Chinese as we celebrate this vibrant festival, renowned for dragon boat races and delicious zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). Learn about Qu Yuan, the great Chinese poet whose legacy inspires this festival, and enjoy the festivities from his hometown in Zigui County, central China's Hubei Province. Let's embrace the spirit of the day with greetings like "端午快乐" and "端午安康"! Wishing you all joy and health this season!

Send us a Text Message.This episode is on Eye problems in Long Covid. I talk about the symptoms, causes, the various diagnoses and how to manage those Long Covid eye problems.I am Dr Tim Robinson, formerly a GP for 30 years, retired as planned at the start of the Covid pandemic. Since then I have become involved in the world of Long Covid. Currently I am GP clinical lead for Long Covid NHS in  South West England, as well as GP lead for three NHS Long Covid Services - Dorset, Bristol and South Devon. I am also Clinical Lead for Hope for the Community CIC. I have research involvement as co-investigator in a study on breathlessness in Long Covid, University of Bristol.Long Covid Doctor is an educational series for Long Covid sufferers; each talk covers the many aspects of Long Covid, the symptoms, causes, treatments, management and expected outcomes.Episodes are found on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsYouTubeTranscripts of the individual episodes are available on:www.LongCovidDoctor.comEpisodes are accessed on:TwitterFacebookInstagramLinked inDisclaimer: Long Covid Doctor is an educational series. Any advice, diagnosis, treatments mentioned should only be considered after discussion with your own GP or qualified professional health provider.Links, resources:NICE Covid-19 rapid guideline:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng188/chapter/5-ManagementHow to manage post viral fatigue after Covid-19:https://www.rcot.co.uk/how-manage-post-viral-fatigue-after-covid-19-0References:Braceros KK, Asahi MG, Gallemore RP. Visual snow-like symptoms and posterior uveitis following COVID-19 infection. Case Rep Ophthalmol Med. 2021;2021:6668552Tohamy D et al. Ocular Manifestations of Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, Upper Egypt Early Report. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2021 Jul 23;14:1935-1944 Wu P, Duan F, Luo C, et al. Characteristics of ocular findings of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei Province, China. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2020;138(5):575–578Koutsiaris et al. COVID-19 hemodynamic and thrombotic effect on the eye microcirculation after hospitalization: A quantitative case-control study. Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation 82 (2022) 379–390

The Mighty Wu-Tang ClanThe Wu-tang Clan formed in late 1992 and has proven to be the most revolutionary Hip-Hop group through their music produced in the mid-90s, which wasn't their most valuable aspect. The clan consisted of nine emcees, “The RZA,” “GZA,” “Ol' Dirty Bastard,” “Method Man,” “Raekwon,” “Ghostface Killa,” “Inspectah Deck,” “U-God,” and “Masta Killa.” Their obligation was furtherance to engulf the record industry in a profitable manner for their winning. So their plan was to release a strong group debut album, then collaborate with one another to release invaluable solo albums.The Wu-tang Clan received their title through the martial arts film, "Shaolin and Wu Tang," which portrayed multiple disciples of the temple to be disciplined in the Wu-tang form. The origin of the word "Wu-tang" derives from Wu Dang, the Taoist holy mountain located in the Central China in the Hubei Province. The word also is the name of the Emperor Yong Le's Ming Purple Imperial City, which was constructed during the time period of 1404-1420. Their debut album, "Enter the Wu-tang (36 Chambers)," was designed to contain a Shaolin vs. Wu-tang theme, and dialogue from the Wu-Tang films were used as skits. An emcee of the Wu-Tang Clan, Method Man, also notes that a sword cutting through air molecules results in a "Wu" sound effect and the "Tang" sound effect is the result of contact made with a shield.The Mighty Wu-Tang Clan MixPresented by: DJ Mike Nick's ... Your Forever DJ

On December 31st, 2019, a local municipal health commission in China's Hubei Province reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia. Merely three months later the World Health Organization proclaimed the novel coronavirus ‘a global pandemic' – a historic turning point which effectively accelerated strategic ambitions by major geo-political actors. While the Biden Administration seized power in Washington two years following the first reported' cases of the so-called COVID-19; on January 20th, 2021, China hurriedly informed its American counterparts, merely two months after assuming office, that it regards the United States a peer nation – effectively proclaiming an era of strategic competition. Meanwhile on the 24th of February of this year, Russia - which for a long time aspires to force a separation between Europe and its transatlantic allies - launched a deliberate military invasion into Ukraine, believing it could overrun its Western neighbor within just several days. To Moscow's dismay, Western resilience, led predominately by Britain, the European Commission and the United States, has forced the Kremlin to contend with a ‘war-of-attrition' expected to persist deep into the looming winter. This episode's discussion aims to dissect Europe's list of challenges, whether European Leaders have managed to learn from past mistakes and hopefully instill some much-aspired optimism ahead of a stormy winter. Panel: - Jonathan Hessen: Host. - Prof. Vaclav Klaus, Former President of the Czech Republic. - Gen. Klaus Naumann, Former Bundeswehr Chief of General Staff and Chairman of NATO's Military Committee. - Dr. Rafael Bardaji, CEO World Wide Strategy who formerly served as Spanish National Security Advisor. - Col. Richard Kemp, former British Field Commander and head of the international counter-terrorism intelligence team at the British Cabinet Office. - Prof. Uri Rosenthal, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. You are welcome to join our audience and watch all of our programs - free of charge! TV7 Israel News: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/563/ Jerusalem Studio: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/18738/ TV7 Israel News Editor's Note: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/76269/ TV7 Europa Stands: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/82926/ TV7 Powers in Play: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/84954/ TV7 Israel: Watchmen Talk: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/76256/ Jerusalem Prays: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/135790/ TV7's Times Observer: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/97531/ TV7's Middle East Review: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/997755/ My Brother's Keeper: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/53719/ This week in 60 seconds: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/123456/ Those who wish can send prayer requests to TV7 Israel News in the following ways: Facebook Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/tv7israelnews Email: israelnews@tv7.fi Please be sure to mention your first name and country of residence. Any attached videos should not exceed 20 seconds in duration. #IsraelNews #tv7israelnews #newsupdates Rally behind our vision - https://www.tv7israelnews.com/donate/ To purchase TV7 Israel News merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/tv7-israel-news-store Live view of Jerusalem - https://www.tv7israelnews.com/jerusalem-live-feed/ Visit our website - http://www.tv7israelnews.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/tv7israelnews Like TV7 Israel News on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/tv7israelnews Follow TV7 Israel News on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tv7israelnews/ Follow TV7 Israel News on Twitter - https://twitter.com/tv7israelnews

Last time we spoke, Lin Zexu had brought the foreign barbarians to their knees and Elliot was forced to hand over 20,000 chests of opium. Lin zexu destroyed the illicit substance riding his nation of its filth. Elliot made a terrible error when he told the opium merchants the British government would compensate them for the confiscated contraband. This would all lead to Captain Henry Smith of the Volage firing the first shot of the First Opium War. Britain was in a financial bind, they needed their tea fix and China was closing off trade to them. How was Britain going to compensate the opium merchants and open up China to keep the tea flowing? That is when Thomas Macaulay made the suggestion to Lord Palmerston, a rather out of the box idea. Why not make China pay for it all. This episode is the First Opium War Part 1   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on the history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War.   Lin Zexu's attempt to send a letter to Queen Victoria proved to be a failure, no one cared. But back in China Lin Zexu's war against Opium earned him a promotion. He went from high commissioner to taking Deng Tingzhen's title as Governor-General. This seems to have bolstered Lin Zexu's resolve to deal with the foreign barbarians as he wrote at the time “Only by knowing their strengths and their weaknesses can we find the right to restrain them”. Lin Zexu shared his countrymens contempt for the foreigners, but he knew he had to learn more about this enemy in order to defeat them. Lin Zexu was a scholar and had a practical mindset for how to go about the task. Lin Zexu began by buying the British warship Cambridge for use to the Chinese navy and anchored it around the mouth of the Canton River. The only problem was that Elliot made sure to order all of Cambridge's cannons removed before it was sold and the Chinese sailors were unable to properly sail the vessel, thus it was literally towed to the canton river.  By spring of 1840, there were only a few small limited battles between the Chinese junks and some British vessels still attempting to smuggle opium into canton. Elliot decided the first course of action was to map the Yangtze river so he could provide good intelligence to the incoming British force. He sent a ship from Jardine Matheson & Co called the Hellas, unbeknownst to Elliot, Matheson told its captain Frederick Jauncey to try and sell opium while they navigated the Yangtze to hedge his profits. The Hellas ran into trouble on May 22nd of 1840 when Captain Jauncey ran into what he originally thought were just a few Chinese merchant ships, but were in fact 8 war junks. They opened fire on Hellas and attempted to ram and board her, but Hellas was able to keep the fire fight at a distance until some strong wind picked up allowing Hellas to make an escape. Captain Jauncey earned a broken jaw and almost lost an eye during the battle and a few of his crew were hurt, but there were no fatalities. By the end of May the Hellas limped back to Macao for some medical treatment. On June the 8th, a Chinese fleet of fireships loaded to the brim with gunpowder were sent into the British ships anchored at Capsingmum some 45 miles east of Macao. Many of the British vessels fled for their lives, but the warships, Volage, Druid and Hyacinth rushed forward to stop the fireship attack. They used grappling hooks to tie up the fireships from a distance and towed them away from the rest of the British flotilla thus saving them all. The next day, the long awaited British force Palmerston promised finally arrived in Chinese waters. There was a scarcity of sailors hindering what could be amassed for hte China expeditionary force, due to the ongoing wars and other operations against the French in the mediterranean sea and the forces of Mohammed Ali in Egypt. By the end of June 17 men of war had assembled including 3 line of battle ships, the Wellesley, Melville and Blenheim. The East India Company also lent a hand providing 4 armed merchantmen steamers, the Enterprize, Madagascar, Atalanta and Queen. Following behind the force was 27 troopships carrying the 18th Royal Irish, the 49th Bengal Volunteers, the 26th Cameronians,a corps of Bengal engineers, and another corps of Madras sappers and miners. On its way to catch up to this force was British most devastating weapon, a brand new ocean-going Iron warship, the first of its kind named Nemesis. She was launched in 1839 and deployed to China as her first operation. She was powered by 2 60 horsepower Forrester engines and armed with 2 pivot mounted 32 pounders and 6 6pounder guns. She had watertight bulkhead, the first to be used for a warship at the time enabling her to survive a lot of hull damage. It goes without saying this one warship will have a daunting part to play in this story and the Chinese would nickname her “devil ship”.  The British armada did not just bring military assistance, it also was secretly carrying more opium, because of course why not. Over 10 thousand chests were snuck away aboard the ships ready to flood the Chinese market. The large British naval presence would allow the smugglers to offload their opium at Lintin during broad daylight with impunity. The armada gathered itself at Singapore to devise a strategy going forward. There in Singapore, the marines practiced amphibious assaults while Chinese war junks in the distance observed from a distance. By June 1 of 1840 enough warships had gathered at Singapore to launch the invasion of the Qing dynasty. So on June 16 the first ship, a steamer named Madagascar entered the Gulf of Canton followed a bit later by a large part of the armada. Aboard the Wellesley, captain Elliot met with the commander of the expeditionary force, Commodore Sir J. J Gordon Bremer and they discussed strategy. Jardine had made a proposal, to commit some warships to blockade the entire eastern and southern coasts of China and seize the island of Chusan. Jardine argued they should also blockade the mouth of the Bei He River which flowed into the Yangtze, the waterway for food and other shipments directly to Beijing. Chusan island was a critical depot for the Qing, more than a quarter million ton of grain pass through it to go to Beijing to feed the capital. Depriving the capital of a major food source and revenue would bring the Chinese to a peace settlement and thus a British victory.  The British Admiralty's Sir John Barrow thought Jardine's proposal was too much, threatening the Qing capital would just result in the Chinese digging in deeper to defend themselves and not bring them to the peace table. Barrow argued they should focus around the gulf of canton, shell the city and seize Hong Kong. Charles Elliot argued a middle ground: take Canton then sail up the Bei He river to threaten Beijing. Elliot also argued they could instead attack Shanghai because attacking such a prominent city would make the Qing lose face and intimidate them. Another man who had just arrived was Elliot's cousin, Admiral Sir George Elliot who had been given co-plenipotentiary powers. He brought with him a peace treaty with orders to make the Qing government agree to every article of it and to continue the way until it was done. Sir George Elliot arrived in the later part of 1840 and ordered a blockade of the Gulf of Canton using 5 warships while he and the rest of the armada sailed north. The British merchants were disappointed, they expected a direct assault upon Canton, they had hoped to open the city back up for trade. Both Elliot's got aboard the Wellesley as the armada made its approach towards Chusan. George Elliot also had with him a letter from Palmerston to inform the emperor Britain intended to blockade and seize various Chinese ports as a response to the Qing siege of the Canton factories. Palmerston also cheekily added that if the Emperor wanted to stop the opium trade he should probably convince his people to stop smoking opium. At the end of the letter Palmerston added that to avoid “unpleasantness” the Emperor was invited to send a delegation to a shipboard meeting with the two Elliots who most likely would park their warships at the mouth of the Bei He River. The Elliots gave the letter to a Captain named Thomas Bourchier whom went ashore with a white flag at Namoy just 300 miles north of Canton. As Thomas entered the harbor some Qing officials came aboard. Thomas explained to them that the armada meant to bombard the city if they did not respect the white flag. As he explained this to them, along the coast a ton of Chinese began to form a crowd near his boat so he sailed off. With his ship a few hundreds yards away from the shore he waited to see what the Chinese would do. Then Thomas noticed cannons being mounted on a nearby fort. Thomas sent his translator named Robert Thom on a small raft with a large placard repeating what retaliation the Chinese could expect if they fired upon his ship. Thom also began to shout the orders at the crowd along the beach, but they simply screamed insults in return. Then some of the people on the beach began to swim out towards Thom's boat and some arrows and gunshots were fired at him. Suddenly one of the cannons from the fort fired and some nearby chinese junks joined them all aiming for poor Thom. Thom dashed back to Captain Thomas and reported to him what had happened. Captain Thomas responded by sending another letter explaining that the British government had no quarrel with the Chinese people, only their emperor. He sent the letter with a courier in another small raft and as it approached the shore the mob rose up yet again and soon gunfire was going off. It is alleged after this Captain Thomas literally threw a message in a bottle before sailing off towards Canton.  By July 1st the armada anchored in the harbor of Dinghai on Chusan Island. Dinghai held around 40,000 inhabitants within a 5 sided 22 feet high wall city. It held many towers and was surrounded on all 4 sides by a canal. The city had 16 hundred defenders, but in reality they were all just some fishermen, sailors and quickly raised up militiamen armed with spears, bows and some matchlocks. There were also 12 chinese war junks that had followed the British armada keeping a safe distance. The British noticed one of the Chinese war junks had a banner indicated a high Qing official was aboard and they signaled they wanted to talk. The Chinese war junks invited a British delegation aboard their flagship. Commodore Bremer went aboard with his interpreter and met with the Qing commander of the Chusan garrison. Bremer did not mash words he was quite blunt demanding the “surrender Chusan or face the consequences”. The Qing host was not intimidated however and sent the British back to their boats. When the British were back aboard their vessels, instead of blasting the chinese war junks, well they simply invited the Chinese aboard the Wellesley to wine and dine them. In the 1997 movie “the opium war” this scene is quite well done, I highly recommend watching it. So the Qing officials dined and one Qing officer even analyzed some of the 74 guns aboard Wellesley. That officer was quoted to say “it is very true you are strong and I am weak. Still I must fight”. After dinner, Commodore Bremer demanded their surrender again and gave them 24 hours to comply. The Chinese in the meantime ran ashore and began to stuff a ton of sandbags with rice and other things to strengthen the defenses around Dinghai's walls. The 24 hours passed and Bremer brought the Wellesley closer to the shore, but he had to wait for some more reinforcements to arrive to launch an amphibious assault. By 2pm on July 5th, 6 British warships arrived to the scene and Bremer fired a single cannon targeting a tower on a small fort. The Qing fired a single cannon in response, which led Bremer to start shooting volley's every 10 minutes. As the maelstrom was going on, Lt Colonel George Burrell led the 18th Brigade in an amphibious landing. Suddenly the Chinese stop firing just as the 18th brigade landed ashore. The British took the situation by storm and began bombarding the Chinese war junks to pieces and Dingshai's fort towers. Lord Jocelyn, a military secretary said of the scene. “The Crashing of timber, falling houses and groans of men resounded from the shore. Even after the bombardment ceased, a few shots were still heard from the unscathed junks. We landed on a deserted beach, a few dead bodies, bows and arrows; broken spears and guns remaining the sole occupants of the field”. The 18th brigade found no resistance on the beach. The Qing defenders had fled almost as soon as the first cannons had gone off. A Qing commander on scene, Brigadier Zhang had refused to give up the fight, but had both his legs blown off by cannonade and had to be whisked away on a litter. The local magistrate and some of his subordinates watched in horror as the defenders departed and they all committed suicide.  A detachment of the 18th brigade set up 8 9 pounder artillery pieces and some howitzers on a hill which had a vantage point overlooking the city of Dinghai. They then began to shell the now defenseless inhabitants forcing countless to flee for their lives. The British reported not a single casualty during the volley exchange nor the beach assault. Lord Jocelyn described the planting of the Union Jack by the Joss house in Dinghai “the first European banner that has floated as conqueror over the flowery land”.  The city of Dinghai was a mile from the shoreline and Colonel Burell slowly marched his men to its formidable walls as artillery rained hell upon them. The residents of Dinghai responded with their own artillery forcing Colonel Burrell to hold back his men from a distance and wait it out until the next day to assault the city. During that lull the British soldiers found some samshu in a local fishing village and proceeded to get drunk as hell and looted the fishing village during the night. An Indian soldier said of the incident “A more complete pillage could not be conceived. The plunder ceased only when there was nothing to take or destroy”. The artillery was going on throughout the night and at around midnight of British 9 pounders hit a gunpowder deposit inside Dinghai turning the city into an inferno. The next morning the British saw most of the defenders were fleeing and sent a detachment of 12 men to approach the south wall to prod it. There was no resistance so the men began to climb the rice bag defenses that had been piled almost 2 stories high in front of the wall. Within minutes they were over the top and could see the city that once held 40,000 people was all but deserted. Lord Jocelyn said of the city “The main street was nearly deserted, except here and there, where the frightened people were performing the kow-tow as we passed. On most of the houses was placarded "Spare our lives;" and on entering the jos-houses were seen men, women, and children, on their knees, burning incense to the gods; and although protection was promised [to] them, their dread appeared in no matter relieved.”  The British reported that perhaps 2000 Chinese died, which is complete nonsense, the Chinese state something like 25 died so the actual number is somewhere in between, quite a large range I know. The British themselves might have lost up to 19 men. They found a ton of antiquated weapons and armor as they looted the city such as padded cotton jackets which displayed the disparity between the 2 forces. Robert Thom who witnesses the looting said “No one has been killed in cold blood that I am aware of, and only one or two cases of rape occurred perpetrated it is said by the sepoys”. By the way a lot of the primary sources for this war will lay blame on the Indian soldiers for misconduct and take it was a grain of salt. I am not saying it did not happen, it most certainly did, but the idea that the British redcoats were not taking part in such ventures seems dubious.  By Jul 11th, Jardine and Matheson reached Chusan and found out Admiral Elliot was forbidding their opium ships from landing on the island. Yet they pressed their team of smugglers to persist and against Elliots wishes unloaded opium. Chusan would become a storehouse for opium and by November of 1840 43 opium smuggling ships were using Chusan as an offloading point. 12,000 chests of opium would be brought to Chusan by the end of the year.  Chusan island would also bring quite a lot of misery to the British. Colonel Burrell refused to allow his troops to occupy the abandoned city of Dinghai fearing repercussions from the Chinese and instead kept his men in a particularly malaria infested paddy field. With the scorching heat and an order that all men keep their top buttons on their uniforms fastened almost 500 men would die to malaria and dysentery. A lot of variables were at work, bad provisions, too much Samshu, stagnant water and the most evil culprit, malaria invested mosquitos took a heavy toll on the British. By October, only 2036 out of 3650 troops would be fit for duty.  By december more than 5000 men were admitted to hospitals and 448 deaths would occur. If anyone knows the story of Japan's invasion of Taiwan in the 19th century, it really reminds me of that ordeal. Taking an island by force and with incredible ease, only to fall victim to brutal mother nature. On july 27th, Elliot had gathered many warships at Dinghai and felt he had enough firepower to proceed 500 miles north to Beijing. A week after Dinghai fell, Beijing got the word. However this is where a large problem would emerge for the Qing dynasty. The Emperor was given word through Qing officials, and if the news was bad, the officials would fear enraging the Emperor and more often than naught falsify what they told him. In this case the officials downplayed the severity of the incursion. They told him of alleged weaknesses of the foreign invaders. The governor of Jiangsu Province lying at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Yukien told the Emperor “take our fort at Woosung. From the bottom upward there is the stone base, then the clay base, and finally the fort itself. It is even elevation far above the level of the barbarian ships. If they shoot upward, their bullet will go down and consequently lose force. Moreover the barbarians are stiff and their legs straight. The latter, further bound with cloth, can scarcely stretch at will. Once fallen down, they cannot again stand up. It is fatal to fighting on land”. Yukien would also make remarks about how the barbarians lacked bows and arrows. While this might come off as humorous, I bring it up for important reasons. The Emperor will continuously be given these sort of reports, downplaying of events such as battles, made up stories about victories over the British and much more. The Emperor will be reacting accordingly based on the information he is given and this will be quite the crux of the entire war.  The British armada approached the mouth of the Bei He River in a course of 10 days and was only 75 miles southwest of Beijing. However at the mouth of the Bei He River lied one of the Qing dynasty's most formidable defenses, known as the Dagu forts. 2 Dagu forts guarded the mouth, though to Elliot they looked pretty decrepit and deserted. Elliot was still trying to find a Qing official who would take Palmerstons letter to the Emperor and at the mouth he saw several Chinese war junks. Elliot sent a man with the letter to the war junks and the commander of the warships replied that he would send the letter to a higher ranking Qing official who was only a short distance away. Thus Elliot waited to see what would occur and it turned out the Qing official was Qishan, the governor of Chihli province. Qishan sent word to Elliot that his letter was sent directly to the Emperor, but that Elliot would need to wait for a reply.  On May 13 of 1840, one of Qishans subordinates came aboard the Wellesley providing the British with food and water and this was followed up for several days with more gifts. Then Elliot was told the Emperor had officially received the letter, but it would be regretfully another 10 days or so for the Qing court to discuss with the Emperor the letters contents. Do not forget, the story I spoke of about the malaria and dysentery outbreak on Chusan was raging by this point and thus Elliot decided it best to scatter the armada in search of cleaner water because the Chusan wells seemed to be the culprit at the time. Some of the ships went hundreds of miles away in search of water and as this all occurred, 10 days had come and gone. When all of the armada regrouped with their fresh water reserves, Elliot decided they needed to speed up the Qing courts process. Elliot ordered the warships Madagascar and Modeste to begin firing at some forts on Chusans outskirts, but before the shelling could begin a messenger from Qishan suddenly appeared. Elliot was invited to meet with Qishan in 3 days time. The meeting would be on july 30th and the location was a fort in southern Chusan. Qishan brought gifts and food with him for the British and had a flotilla built up so the British would not have to walk in mud to the fort. Elliot, Qishan and Jocelyn had a large dinner and then they discussed the Palmerston letter for over 6 hours. Qishan during the meeting made a mention of the precedent set by the Macartney and Amherst missions, that of the tributary system. Elliot insisted both men were not tributaries, but ambassadors holding equal status to the Emperor. Qishan could feel the tension in the room and changed the subject, he pointed out that the occupation of Chusan island was unacceptable for the Emperor. Elliot understood and said the British occupation was temporary, they were merely using it as a base of operations. Then the largest looming subject emerged, Opium. Qishan demanded a promise from Queen Victoria that Britain would stop exporting opium to China. Similar to Lin Zexu, the Qing had a difficult time understanding the representatives of authority for other nations and assumed Queen Victoria held a similar position to their Emperor. Elliot said plainly that he did not have the authority to grant such a concession and then made the remark “if the Chinese wanted the opium trade to end, they should stop using it”. Elliot also made a remark that most of the Opium was coming from other sources outside British influence, but he had little evidence to support this. Qishan swallowed this resentfully but did not quibble over it. Instead Qishan moved to the subject of reparations as Palmerston had demanded compensation for the 20,000 seized opium chests and for war reparations for Britain who was invading China! Qishan flat out called these demands ludicrous, when he said this, Elliot began to write something on Palmerstons letter and when Qishan asked him what he was writing Elliot replied “I am writing what is your opinion on the matter, because many of the Emperor other officials might have differing ones”.  Qishan then began to explain to Elliot that Lin Zexu had fallen out of favor with the Qing court and that Qishan agreed with the British that Lin Zexu had mistreated them and employed unnecessary violence. Qishan made a remark that the Emperor was most likely going to fire Lin Zexu and punish him. It seems Qishan was hinting to Elliot that he might be replacing Lin Zexu as his successor and with it plenipotentiary powers. So you get the idea here, Qishan is basically hinting while nothing can be done right now, perhaps when he is in charge he will help the British out. Qishan also kept stating that the British should go to Canton, as it was the center of foreign trade and a much more logical and practical place for them to go to further negotiations. But both Elliot and Qishan knew why he was stating this repeatedly, he wanted the British to get as far away from the Emperor as possible.  George Elliot informed Charles Elliot that he felt the armada was quite vulnerable sitting in Bei He Bay and urged him to end the negotiations and leave. Likewise upon hearing the news that Lin Zexu was going to be dismissed soon, Charles Elliot agreed and they too the armada and sailed away. This rather abrupt partie however gave the Chinese the impression the barbarians were done with the war all together. As you can imagine many Qing officials began telling Beijing this. As you can also imagine the British departure was only temporary. By September of 1840 the British armada re-emerged at the mouth of the Bei He River. The Elliots had order the armada to up the pressure on the Qing and Charles Elliot had written a note to Palmerston at this time “It is notorious that the Daoguang Emperor entertains the utmost dread of our enterprising spirit”. What he meant by this, was by sending periodic naval patrols he was trying to scare the shit out of Beijing. Back over in Canton, despite the incredible efforts of Lin Zexu, the opium trade was still rearing its ugly head. Since Jardine & Matheson were now able to shove their contraband on Chusan island it began to flood right back into the Canton market. By the fall of 1840 6500 chests had gotten through the Canton trade from Jardine & Matheson Co alone. Many hundreds of others were flooding in from the other independent smugglers and despite the severity of punishment for using the substance, there was still an enormous demand. The Elliots of course banned the trade of opium on Chusan, but they were not morons, they knew it was simply going to Canton in the end. Of course they were allowing the trade to go on, they were after all quite broke. The Elliots had no other way of raising money to continue the war effort other than relying on the sale of opium. Both Elliots understood the fiscal dependency they had on the opium smugglers and the prohibition of its sale on the island of Chusan was merely symbolic, a way of keeping face, so typically british. Thus vessels were allowed to offload opium near Chusan with zero interference from the British armada, which in turn was patrolling the waters thus protecting the opium dealers in the end. The hope in the end was by symbolically banning the substance at Chusan, perhaps this would alleviate the Emperor while simultaneously allowing the condonation of revenue for the war effort by allowing its trade to ports like Canton.  Over in Beijing, Emperor Daoguang hesitated over Lin Zexu, he was not yet comfortable dismissing him. This embolden Lin Zexu, whom began to crack down even more so on the Chinese opium consumers. Lin Zexu put out an edict limiting the amount of time opium addicts had to wean themselves off the drug “while the period is not yet closed, you are living victims. When it shall have expired, then you will be dead victims”. Yet despite his efforts Lin Zexu could do little against the opium vessels which were being protected by the British armada making patrols in the Gulf of Canton, Amoy, Chusan and the Mouths of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. Then to the horror of the Chinese the British began seizing Chinese ships along the coast and taking their cargo to sell and finance the war effort. Imagine how cash strapped a nation has to be to start performing this sort of looting. Between June and July of 1840 the British armada had seized 7 large trading vessels plundering their cargo. In retaliation the Chinese raised a price for the heads of any British military personnel at 100$ for a soldier taken alive, 20$ for a corpse, $5000 for a British captain and for a British ship 10,000$, cha ching. Things got out of hand quite quickly, Chinese desperate to make some coin turned to attacking European and American civilians such a missionaries. Gangs of Chinese would hunt them down beating them nearly to death. On August the 5th, Vincent Stanton a tutor of a British merchants children alongside a missionary named David Abeel made the terrible decision to go swimming in Macao' bay. Stanton was kidnapped and brought to Canton. Until this point Macao was seen as the last safe spot in China for foreigners, but the kidnapping of Stanton broke that. Adding to everyone's fears, 8 Chinese war junks docked at Macao sending the Portuguese colony into a frenzy.  It turns out Stanton's kidnapping was masterminded by Lin Zexu, it was psychological warfare. He was not able to go after the British warships, but he was able to target anyone on land. The Governor general of Macao, Pinto pleaded with Lin Zexu to return the man, but it came to nothing. The British felt they had lost face, Stanton was one of theirs and they had even tried allowing the Portuguese aid the situation to no avail. 2 weeks after Stantons kidnapping the British had had enough. 4 British warships from the Armada were sent to Macaos Casilha Bay alongside 400 soldiers. The British warships opened fire upon the Chinese war junks whom returned fire. However the Chinese war junks cannons were old and obsolete, they could not match the range the British were firing from. The Chinese crews began to panic when their return fire was literally only matching half the distance of the British and soon jumped ship. Meanwhile the british warships simply continued to rain hell upon the war junks. As noted by British officer “The [Chinese] junks, which were aground in the inner harbour, were utterly useless, for none of their guns could be brought to bear, though several of the thirty-two pound shots of the ships found their way over the bank, much to the consternation of the occupants of the junks." The Chinese crews tried to establish a defense on the coast, but the British soldiers overwhelmed them with musket fire. The Chinese war junks still intact made a break for it, as the rest of the Chinese fled into the fortifications. The British warships battered the walls of Macaos fortifications until their batteries stopped returning fire and the British and Indian soldiers soon scaled the walls. By 5pm the Chinese routed inside the Macao fortifications as the British set fire to multiple barracks. In the end the Chinese suffered upto 60 dead with 120 wounded and the British reported only 4 wounded, but take the number with a grain of salt. In Beijing Qing officials told Emperor Daoguang there had been a major victory at Macao and that many British were dead and multiple British warships laid at the bottom of Casilha Bay. These Qing officials were court officials who were received false reports from the military at Macao. Its sort of like the game broken telephone, where every link embellishes the story to make it more and more positive. All the Chinese soldiers began to abandon Macao and no more Chinese War junks came to its harbor. In the eyes of the Portuguese and British they had saved Macao, in the eyes of poor Stanton…well he was imprisoned in Canton.  The Stanton kidnapping distressed the foreign community in China, but there was another incident that scared the shit out of them. A french missionary named Father Jean Gabriel Perboyre was illegally operating in Hubei Province and got captured in September of 1839. He was tortured and interrogated for over a year and on September 11th of 1840 he was executed publicly at Wuchang. The priest was killed by strangulation, but the Qing authorities decided to place his body on a cross after his death. This set a panic into the foreign community as others were likewise captured and killed and the British on Chusan island were falling victim to malaria, dysentery and starvation, because all the food on Chusan had dried up. They began to eat moldy rice from Chusans stockpiles and bread made from worm ridden flour stuck aboard their ships for quite a long time. It is alleged that the pickled beets and pork on the British warships was so rancid even the iron-stomachs of the British couldn't tolerate it. The drinking water likewise was a source of disease, contaminated by the local sewers. The interpreter Thom wrote a letter to Matheson stating “even the natives hold their noses because of the waters smell. Unless we can manage to get the canal and town cleared out, I fear that we shall be getting some contagious distemper among us. The climate moreover is moist and mosquitoes swarm in amazing numbers. Let no man come here without mosquito curtains else he will bitterly repent of it”. The British did not realize the mosquitoes were the culprit of their malaria nightmare as the belief at the time for europeans was that malaria came from rotten vegetables. The dysentry killed more people than the malaria however, coming from the horrid food and water situation. 12 soldiers died in August, the next month 24, while 250 were hospitalized and by mid september a third of the force was too sick to fight. Being a specialist in the Pacific War I do have to say what amazing parallels this will play out for the Japanese and Americans in the island hoping warfare. Not fun to battle the elements, malaria and a terrible provision situation.  Then there was horrible incident when a commercial ship called the Kite ran aground on a sandbank on september 15th. The Captain named John Nobles lost his 5 month year old baby, and he, his wife and 26 crew members clinging to the boats wreckage until a Chinese war junk captured them. All of them were put in chains and imprisoned at Ningbo. They were placed in wooden cage, the wife of John Nobles stated “mine was scarcely a yard high, a little more than three quarters of a yard long, and a little more than half a yard broad. The door opened from the top. Into these we were lifted, the chain around our necks being locked to the cover. THey put a long piece of bamboo through the middle, a man took either end, and in this manner we were jolted from city to city to suffer the insults of the rabble, the cries from whom were awful”. Some of captured crew were beat to death, 3 men died of dysentery and those who were Indian amongst them were treated extra harshly. One of the English prisoners believed the Chinese treated the Indians worse, because they ate their rice with their fingers which angered them.  When Charles Elliot heard the news of the captives from the Kite he was mortified, particularly because one of the prisoners was a woman! He went to Ningbo aboard the Atalanta to negotiation their release and was immediately told, all the prisoners could go if the British gave back Chusan. The British did not say no, but did nothing to indicate they would hand over Chusan, so the Chinese began to threaten to kill the prisoners. This prompted the Charles Elliot to demand a meeting with Qishan at Chinhai only 10 miles away from the prison at Ningbo. Elliot stated to Qishan if the prisoners were not handed over he would end the peace talks outright. Qishan played some hard ball demanding Chusan returned, but eventually a compromise was made. Elliot agreed to stop British ships from seizing Chinese vessels and blockading the ports and in return the Chinese would still hold the prisoners, but they would improve their living conditions. To show good faith, Qishan released poor old Stanton from his prison in Canton and handed him over to Elliot. The situation did not satisfy the British, but while they danced around with diplomacy, more and more troops from India were being brought to Chusan and the most fearsome weapon Britain had at its disposal had just arrived, the Nemesis.    I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me.  Lin Zexu's efforts against opium were not going well enough and was losing favor with Emperor Daoguang, the British were winning battles and taking territory. How will the Qing Dynasty rid themselves of the invaders? Join us next time to find out. 

When the first round of the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in Wuhan of central China's Hubei Province in early 2020, many countries recognized its inherent risk to global health and began donating gloves, masks, hazmat suits – sending whatever they could to help combat the virus. Among the supplies sent from Japan were shipments from the organization that administers the HSK, otherwise known as the Chinese proficiency test, there in Japan.What they didn't expect was that the Chinese phrase written on the exterior of those relief boxes would go viral on Chinese social media. The lines read, “Even though we live in different places, we live under the same sky.” Netizens praised the words as a sign of heartfelt support for China in its struggle to cope with the coronavirus.Today, we're going to talk about how this very short poem went a long way toward inspiring a Buddhist monk of the Tang Dynasty to undertake a perilous journey to re-establish the correct precepts and practices of Buddhism in Japan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited an engeering company and a residential community in Wuhan, Hubei Province.

How far would you go for great love? And what distances would you cross?Yu Xiuhua was born in 1976 in Hengdian, Hubei Province, China. She is a poet from an impoverished rural background who was born with cerebral palsy. Yu began writing poetry in 1998. In 2014, her poem “Crossing Half of China to Sleep with You” became an online sensation, launching her career as a celebrity poet and writer. Her poetry collection, Moonlight Rests on My Left Palm, sold over 300,000 copies, a record for Chinese poetry titles of the past three decades. Yu received the Peasant Literature Award in 2016 and the Hubei Literary Prize in 2018.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.We're pleased to offer Yu Xiuhua's poem, and invite you to sign up here for the latest from Poetry Unbound.

China's first cargo airport completed its flight test using an air freighter on Saturday. The Airport is located in the city of Ezhou, Hubei Province.

Lindsey Wei, Daoist Name -Wei Cheng Ling, 魏诚灵, is a 24th generation lay disciple (俗家弟子sújiā dìzǐ) of the Chun Yang Sect of Wudang Daoism. She trained Traditional Chinese Gong Fu in a remote mountain temple in the Wudang Mountains, Hubei Province, China under her master Li Song Feng for over 9 years before returning to the US in 2010 to start her martial teaching career. She is a practitioner of Tai Ji Quan, Qi Gong, Ba Gua, Double Edge Straight Sword (Jian), as well as other weapons arts. Her passion is combining ancestral skills and indigenous world views of how to steward the earth, exist and thrive in wild places, with the life way of internal martial arts cultivation and health practices. She leads martial training camps in wilderness settings as the context of studying the Dao as it follows Nature. Wei is the author of The Valley Spirit —A Female Story of Daoist Cultivation, a personal memoir published by Singing Dragon in 2012. Her second book is a biography of one of her martial mentors, Path of the Spiritual Warrior –Life and Teachings of Muay Thai Fighter Pedro Solana, published through Purple Cloud Press in 2020. Lindsey teaches online courses as well as in person camps at varying locations in southern Oregon on Takelma and Klamath native lands. Her website is: www.wudangwhitehorse.com You can also follow her work on Youtube, IG @lindsey12wei and FB @lindsey.wei Big thanks to our sponsor The Apricot Grove! Eternal gratitude to Bart Matthews for our amazing intro music! Check out our FB page if you roll like that. For books! Become a Patron! theapricotjam@gmail.com

As China's economy slows down, Xi Jinping's charting a new economic course that will redefine the country's future. From reining in tech giants to redistributing wealth in the name of “common prosperity”, the Party's economic policy is moving away from the Deng reform era. Economic analysts are sharply divided on what it portends for China and the world. This month, Louisa and Graeme hear two completely opposed takes on China's economic strategy, from Andy Rothman, an investment strategist at Matthews Asia, and Anne Stevenson-Yang, the co-founder of J Capital Research. Image: Caofeidian, Hubei Province. c/- Anne Stevenson-YangSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 people are dead and four others unaccounted for after torrential rains hit a township in Hubei Province.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has sent a team to the central Hubei Province to facilitate rescue since rainstorms have caused blackouts, disrupted communication, and stranded people in parts of the province.

3 Gorges Dam Birth of the Man-child (1) (Audio) David Eells - 8/4/21 The increasing collapse of the 3 Gorges Dam could well be a sign of the water breaking to birth the Man-child reformer ministry. As previous dreams on our UBM website reveal, the head of the Man-child will come out first and later the body, making a corporate body ministry to reform the Church after the order of Joseph, Moses, David, Jesus, etc. Another dream on our site reveals this head to be the tip of the spear coming. We will be discussing these confirming dreams in next Sunday's Broadcast.  Q has said, “Watch the Water!” Everyone believes this is referring to the 3 Gorges Dam. The “white hats” have said for a while that the breaching of this Dam would be the beginning of many things promised.  I am sure they don't know about the spiritual aspects of this but God is in control of their 5th generation quantum computer that they use to look into the future. They are shown the political side of what comes after 3GD collapse and we see the spiritual side of the birthing of the Man-child reformers.   Everything is Connected to the 3 Gorges Dam Collapse  Gina Macina - 4/20/21 (David's notes in red) "The event of the COLLAPSE OF THE 3 GORGES DAM needs to be explained as there are still many who do not understand the ramifications and what this means when this event finally takes place.  1) We take out the 24 Nuclear reactors for Gesara. 2) We take out the Bitcoin Mining and destroy the Deep State toll used for Child Trafficking – We get the QFS (Quantum Financial System) 3) We take out Big Pharma and we get the cures (MedBeds) All of the above goodbye to the CCP. It is necessary to realize that everything is connected to the 3 Gorges Dam collapsing. This is THE EVENT!! This is how General Flynn and Julian Assange are freed. The more people understand that NOTHING is going to happen until the dam collapses the better. Our near future that looks exciting, our life that will be fulfilled with cures and abundance is all about the event of the DAM COLLAPSING!” (Google blocked out the dam for a reason. They are showing a video that is supposed to be a live view but it is a looped video for a reason. Months ago it was said to be cracked up badly and then it was filled with mud from upstream flooding. Looking at the extreme flooding of Viet Nam which could only come through the 3 Gorges Dam and the extreme flooding of cities downstream of the dam, some under water, may well tell us the dam is failing or gone. The first domino is the fall of the dam and then bitcoin, the stock market, and the economy in order to plunder the DS income and bring in the new NESARA GESARA economy. Q says, "The future proves the past.” How is that?  Biden has been dead for over a year and a half.  When they started the ‘Gitmo' trials, they had already been in progress for over a year.  When we hear about something, it's already over, so what can the DS do about it then. Nothing.) Link: https://ginamacinamessages.com/2021/04/20/the-3-gorges-dam-has-it-already-collapsed/   Biblical Flooding Devastates Mainland China Natural News -  7/21/21 by: Ethan Huff (David's notes in red) Shocking new footage out of Zhengzhou, China, shows a trainload of stranded passengers waiting for help as devastating floodwaters rise within the train car. A government-run Chinese paper posted a video to its Twitter account showing people patiently waiting in chest-deep murky water for rescue, as floodwaters apparently rise all around them: The region where this occurred apparently received its highest-ever amount of rain in a single day, resulting in widespread devastation, much like what is also being reported out of Germany where flooding is causing massive damage. A video posted in this article offers another look outside of a subway train as floodwaters rush along like a giant muddy river below ground. According to the BBC, rescue crews have been busily working to extract as many people as they can from flooded subway tubes before water levels reach too high a level for survival. The process has reportedly been a challenge, to say the least. Another video shows some of the flooding in Germany, as a torrential river flows at high speed through an old city street. In China, loss of life is being reported all over the place as area residents get swept away in the rushing floodwaters. In another video posted in this article (viewer discretion is advised) it shows various scenes that people captured of people being swept away, cars sinking beneath the surface, and even a street collapsing as people fall into it. Aluminum factory explodes, nearby dam on the verge of bursting: One Chinese person uploaded a video to Twitter showing an aluminum factory exploding like some kind of nuclear fireworks show, allegedly due to the flooding. The People's Liberation Army is also warning that the Yihetan Dam in the center of China “could collapse at any time” due to unprecedented water flow that caused substantial damage to its structure. The worst part is that the rains have not stopped and are expected to continue for at least another 24 hours, which will result in even more damage and loss of life. When will it end? Many are now wondering. Last summer (in July), the Three Gorges Dam in China's Hubei province was on the verge of bursting due to similarly excessive rains that caused the structure to become “deformed slightly,” according to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). (It was a considerable deformation, the curvature the length of the dam was straightened out.) The largest dam in the world, the Three Gorges Dam reached its highest level ever since it first opened back in 2003. It is still operating, but nobody really knows for how long as the rain situation in China intensifies. Heavy rainfall between July 9-11 caused a substantial rise in the water level of the Yangtze River, which feeds into the reservoir behind the Three Gorges Dam. At the time, the dam was receiving a daily inflow of water of up to 10,000 cubic meters per second. “China's massive Three Gorges Dam is showing signs of failing and 400 million people living downstream wouldn't stand a chance if it collapsed,” one Infowars commenter warned about that situation. (It was said that the people are being evacuated to the Chinese ghost cities that were built many years ago. ?) As for Zhengzhou, we should know in the coming days the extent of the damage caused by the flooding that is taking place there, which has already left the city substantially devastated. “Last year China had floods that inundated between 9 and 13 million acres of farmland,” wrote another. “This past May they had earthquakes of 6.1 and 7.3, although we never saw any damage reports – no surprise there. This month they've had flooding in 20 of 27 provinces and dams are being threatened, including reports of the Three Gorges Dam leaking and deforming under the pressure of all of the water.” Link: https://www.naturalnews.com/2021-07-21-biblical-flooding-devastates-mainland-china.html   We are in the Time of the 'Great Dam Burst' James Shomberg - 5/30/21 (David's notes in red) Dear Elders, while listening to your most recent Bible Study program and reading the included prophecy as well, I was stirred by the Holy Spirit to recall this past broadcast presentation of a prophecy by Daniel Paul, titled, 'Breaking the Dam' on 06/21/2011. The Holy Spirit also brought to my attention at the time of the Deep Water Horizon blowout there was an earthquake that occurred and listed by the USGS which later lead to the news about this drilling rig blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. Recently there was a quake listed in China in the location of the Three Gorges Dam, yet no news about any type of damage that would have happened as well. (This was written back on May 30th 2021. Most recently on July 20th of 2021, A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck a mountainous and populous area of China's Hubei Province today, 100 kilometres from the Three Gorges Dam site.)  From what was presented, I was led to believe that this prophecy from Daniel Paul is about all the revelations that are coming forth concerning the Deep State and also the exposure of the present day apostate church who has been a part of the corruption as well. This would be the time that fits this prophecy of a great dam burst, not only revealing the sinfulness of the Deep State, but these apostate church leaders also; a time to collect and correct all those who were lead astray by these false teachers, preachers and prophets; a harvest of all those captives set free by the plain and simple truth.  Jeremiah 25:34-38  Wail, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow in ashes , ye principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are fully come, and ye shall fall like a goodly vessel. 35 And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape. 36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and the wailing of the principal of the flock! for Jehovah layeth waste their pasture. 37 And the peaceable folds are brought to silence because of the fierce anger of Jehovah. 38 He hath left his covert, as the lion; for their land is become an astonishment because of the fierceness of the oppressing sword , and because of his fierce anger.   Breaking the Dam Daniel Paul - 06/21/2011 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was flying above Israel in the Spirit and looking down and viewing the Sea of Galilee below. The Lord then spoke to me and said, "This is a fresh water lake. The water is good to drink”.  I knew that this sea represented a holding place of truth, which was strange to me as the Sea of Galilee had always represented the pit, or the abyss, in the teaching that I am accustomed to hearing.  Then I began to follow the Jordan River out of the Sea of Galilee. As I followed the river, I understood that this represented truth flowing out of a holding place. It is almost like the Sea of Galilee represented all the truth that man has come to understand by revelation of the Holy Spirit and revelation from the Word of God. (Which is Jesus who is the Word made flesh. Jesus was from Nazareth in Galilee.) The Jordan River was like all of the teaching from pastors, teachers, audio and video tapes, books, radio programs and all sources of available teaching. (More likely this represents the Man-child ministry birthing as it was in Jesus' day.) As I followed the Jordan River for quite a while, I came to the Dead Sea. I could smell the Dead Sea before I actually saw it! The smell was putrid and very rank. As I flew over the Dead Sea, I could see salt encrusted on rocks, tree stumps and other objects that were sticking out of the water. It seemed so dismal and dead. I was very grieved about this sight and I wanted to know what caused the condition. (Like Eze 47 prophesied, the Dead sea is having an infusion of fresh water with it now having even a few fish swimming in it.  This speaks of the beginnings of a revival of reformation truth: https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/commentary-dead-sea-comes-to-life/) As soon as the question hit my heart, I knew the answer: this was the church, the salt that was meant to go out into all the world was being held and contained in a confined area with no outlet. It wasn't going anywhere! (This of course results in a stagnant poisoning) As sorrow and grief filled my heart, I continued to fly over the Dead (church) Sea. I looked and I could see the end of this Dead Sea. It was stopped or restrained by a large object, which appeared to be a wall. I flew around the right side of the object and I landed about 30 yards in front of this wall on the dry side of the Dead Sea. I looked up at the wall and realized it wasn't a wall at all but rather a great dam made up of two giant floodgates that were firmly clasped together with a giant black lock. (A type of the 3 Gorges Dam) As I looked at these ominous and intimidating floodgates, I was filled with indignation. These gates were massive, probably 200 feet high and approximately 500 feet across. The smell and the feel of the floodgates were very familiar to me. It was the smell and the feel of religion, control and pride. It was the smell and the feel of Jezebel. I felt as if I wanted to tear them down right then and there.  The floodgates spoke to me and said, "We are here to prevent a great disaster from happening. If this water were to be let loose without being governed properly it would create a disaster of monumental proportions". I was filled with such indignation and frustration. I was confused and could not explain why the floodgates were even there. (The Dead Sea represents everything dead and stagnant about Christianity which is a curse on those bound in it; on the other hand, it is a blessing in that it has been kept in check by a merciful God and not taken over the earth. It first needs that infusion of fresh water we call revival.) After a while I realized there was very little that I could do about the floodgates or the black lock. I just turned around and found something to occupy myself. In turning around I noticed a great dry riverbed leading from the gates. At first I wasn't sure if it was a riverbed or a lakebed because it was so large. (Representing the masses of lost people waiting for truth to bring them to life.)   Then as I looked at my hands I noticed that I was carrying two objects. One object was a chisel called "Truth" that actually had the word "Truth" engraved on it. The other was a large hammer called "Spirit"; it also bore the inscription of its name. I wasn't sure what to do with these objects, so I just began using them to carve out large sections in the riverbed. I thought that I would help prepare this river for the work that God would do because I was sure that there was no way that God would put up with those floodgates much longer. (He is now doing something about this.  A great storehouse of truth is ready to be unleashed which will bring great revival.) After some time of futilely carving large trails across the riverbed, I was startled by a voice behind me. I knew that voice because whenever I heard it my spirit and soul were both as excited as they have ever been. A great feeling of expectation and a reverent fear filled me. It was the voice of the Lord! I knew He was standing behind me! He asked, "Daniel, what are you doing?" I said, "Lord, I am adding depth and breadth to this dry river bed with Spirit and Truth". He put His hand on my shoulder and turned me toward the floodgates. He pointed at the black lock. At this moment, I was aware of what the black lock was and its dark purpose. The black lock was the lies and deception that are used by Jezebel (the religious spirit) to keep them in place. The Lord said to me, "Use Spirit and Truth on the black lock". (Paul tells us that great delusion will be in these end times but the good side of the story is that many who have been held in bondage to this Babylonian DS and religious captivity will be released. {2Th.2:9} [even he], whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, {10} and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. {11} And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: {12} that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. {13} But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:) So, I flew up to the black lock, grabbing it with my feet, and I began to labor away with Spirit and Truth. It was then that I noticed that there were several other people doing the same thing. I did not see them until I myself began to work on the black lock. The floodgates were screaming at us, saying, "Who authorized you to do this? You are working against God! (Representing another Spirit, Jesus, and gospel) You are blaspheming heaven! You are unloving and cruel! You are rebellious and shall be judged!" These lies kept pouring forth and the floodgates of religion continued to assail us, trying to stop us, but the harder I worked with the hammer of Spirit and the chisel of Truth, the less their words affected me. (This must happen at this time to separate the wheat from tares and the sheep from the goats.)  Part Two After it had been some time since I had seen the vision of the floodgate, not really knowing how it ended or what happened, I received the second part of the revelation in a different vision. This time I was flying over an extremely long beach. The beach was covered with hundreds of thousands of large black dots. As I got closer to the beach, I could see that these black dots were actually large circles of men. They were dressed in suit clothing but their clothing varied from circle to circle. Each group surrounded a chalkboard, or a writer board, or a large set of blue prints. They were writing mathematical formulas, studying plans or writing theories about surfing. That's right, surfing. The kind of surfing that is done in the ocean. Their theories and formulas were very complex but the funny thing was none of them appeared to be dressed to surf. In fact, I did not see even one surfboard! (Surfing represents living above the curse, just like Noah's Ark was above the curse of the flood ordained by God's Word. Abiding in Jesus and His Word is our ark.  The problem is in many religious "circles” like these their formulas do not help them live above the curse. Only those who are dressed up with Christ's Word and works can live above the curse. {Rom.13:12} The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. {13} Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. {14} But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].) Just then a large wave came onto the beach it rolled over and up the sand. The water came to about knee-height of the men who were the closest to the ocean. The ones farthest from the water were hit at about ankle-level by the water. Yet, not one man seemed to even notice the water. Then I saw thousands upon thousands of surfers on the beach dripping and soaking wet with the Spirit of God. They had just ridden the wave onto the beach. Most of them had long hair and they were wearing love beads and peace symbols, plus many were wearing sunglasses with funky hats. I knew this to be the Jesus movement of the 1970s. It was real revival! These surfers immediately began to approach the groups of men standing around with their chalkboards. They began telling the men about the experiences they'd just had. They were telling them all about their ride on the waves, using all kinds of surfing lingo and slang. This went on for a short time. Then suddenly the men in the groups turned to the surfers and began to condemn them, saying, "You don't know anything about surfing! We are the surfing experts! If you want to know something about surfing, learn it from us!" (These new Christians who were born of the Spirit were seduced by the Harlot religions.) Many of the surfers went away. Many others conformed and became just like the men around the chalkboards. Others joined existing groups and some created their own groups. There were some who even created groups that were not committed to Jesus Christ at all. (Some who were saved by grace and the Spirit were brought into bondage to religion.) Then I heard the Lord say, "The next wave that comes in will be so large and so powerful that everything on the beach will be removed! (A wave of religious delusion, DS and factious destruction, will sweep the world but the righteous will ride above it.) Whoever comes riding the wave in will be the ones standing on the beach". (The first-fruit reformers) Then the Lord explained to me that before this happens He would direct the men on the beach to take up their surf boards, paddle out into the sea and wait on Him for the great thing that He would do. (They are now prepared and outpouring will come upon them). I somehow knew that only a few would respond because some of those who paddled out would feel like they had wasted their time and would return to the beach. Others would paddle out, get tired or disillusioned and stop short of the distance required to ride the wave in. (Many, when God doesn't move in their time, will take destructive steps for their life.)  Still there were many others who would take up their surf boards, stand at the edge of the water, either peering out into the sea or calling friends to come with them, and still they would never actually get in the water with their surf boards. (Those who stand on the earthly will be destroyed. The righteous will ride above the filth of the Dead Sea and the clear water from the Jordan will follow and wash away the remnants of it. The dragon/serpent sends forth a flood of deception and corruption to take down the woman in the wilderness but the earth swallows the deception and the woman Church is spared. {Rev.12:14} And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle (a gift of overcoming the world through the Man-child ministry), that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time (by the Man-child just as it was with the Man-child Jesus), from the face of the serpent. {15} And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. (But the surfers ride above it) {16} And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. We have many revelations of the dragon ruling over false religion and faction.) As I continued to consider all these things, I kept looking at the beach. Suddenly, I saw in front of me the floodgates again! It was almost as if I was looking at a split screen. On one side of the screen I could see the beach covered with men and on the other side of the screen I could see the large group of people, including myself, feverishly hammering and chiseling away at the black lock. I noticed, however, something different about the people working on the black lock. There was something different about them than the last time that I had seen them. All of them, including myself, were clutching surfboards with our feet and somehow being suspended in the air as we continued to work at the lock. (Those who stand in heavenly places in Christ will be secure from the delusions and destructions to come and many who have been held captive will be set free.) Then I knew in myself what was to happen. I was filled with thrilling excitement and so much hope I couldn't stand it. I knew that when the lock broke the floodgates would fly apart and be dashed to pieces. The water would come through the floodgates with a massive force like a tidal wave. I heard the Lord speak to me again but this time it was from inside of me instead of outside of me. He said, "All who labored in obedience to what I told them to do will ride the forefront of this wave". I knew that this wave would go all the way to that beach that I had seen in my other vision, that we would meet up with all those who obeyed the Lord and paddled out into the ocean and there would be a new day of the church. The church age as we have known it will end and the Church will rise up as the Bride. (Actually the Bride led by the Man-child reformers will raise up the Church with a true 5 fold ministry. This is just what happened when Jesus the Man-child reformer led the Bride identified by John as the first-fruits disciples who followed the Lord who went forth to raise up the 5 fold ministry and the Church.) Later I heard the Lord say to me, "I the Father had my 12, 12 tribes, and they were cut off. From the stump came a Holy seed, a new shoot, my beloved Son. And He had His 12, 12 Apostles". I knew that there was another 12 coming (in these end times) and it would be a work by the Holy Spirit, according to the Word of God, but I do not know what 12 this will be. I do, however, know that though the new thing will come out of the old thing, it will in no way resemble, look like or operate like the old thing. (History always repeats but with larger groups of people. A modern-day 12 Man-child ministry, in whom Jesus lives, will raise up from the 12 spiritual tribes, apostolic forefathers to go forth and raise up the real five-fold ministries and the Church. [see 12 Man-child revelations - https://www.ubm1.org/?page=manchildren ]  The greatest revival of true Christianity will cover the earth as persecution burns up the wood, hay and stubble of their lives.) There will be a new Church; it will be a Holy Bride without blemish, without spot and without wrinkle. (Actually a holy Bride will come forth from the Church as Esther, Song of Solomon and Psalm 45 teach. Son 6:8-9  There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, And virgins without number.  9  My dove, my undefiled, is but one; She is the only one of her mother; She is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.) Coming: Confirming dreams the 3 Gorges Dam Breaking will bring the birth of Man-child reformers.   Select LanguageAfrikaansAlbanianAmharicArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBengaliBosnianBulgarianCatalanCebuanoChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCroatianCzechDanishDutchEsperantoEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchFrisianGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGujaratiHaitian CreoleHausaHawaiianHebrewHindiHmongHungarianIcelandicIgboIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseJavaneseKannadaKazakhKhmerKinyarwandaKoreanKurdish (Kurmanji)KyrgyzLaoLatinLatvianLithuanianLuxembourgishMacedonianMalagasyMalayMalayalamMalteseMaoriMarathiMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)NepaliNorwegianOdia (Oriya)PashtoPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSamoanScots GaelicSerbianSesothoShonaSindhiSinhalaSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSundaneseSwahiliSwedishTajikTamilTatarTeluguThaiTurkishTurkmenUkrainianUrduUyghurUzbekVietnameseWelshXhosaYiddishYorubaZulu Powered by Translate Printer-friendly version

On Friday 3rd April, our first Covid-19 Roundtable was held to discuss the disease named COVID-19 which originated in the Hubei Province in China, and the effect its spread is having on society as a whole.  Our roundtable was made up of Will Hamilton, Entrepreneur, Rob Newitt, Founder & Chairman of the Australian Federation Party in Tasmania and Member of the Federal Executive, Doug Anderson, Former US Medical Professional, Barbara Jean Lindsay, LA-based Cosmic Oracle, and Amanda Gabriel Prosser, Child Abuse Whistleblower.  Part 3 of the roundtable discussed:Italy and Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella's failed virtue signalling experimentManufacturing post Covid-19Bill Gates predicting the Covid-19 pandemicSupport the show (https://www.tomspod.com/store.html)

On Friday 3rd April, our first Covid-19 Roundtable was held to discuss the disease named COVID-19 which originated in the Hubei Province in China, and the effect its spread is having on society as a whole.  Our roundtable was made up of Will Hamilton, Entrepreneur, Rob Newitt, Founder & Chairman of the Australian Federation Party in Tasmania and Member of the Federal Executive, Doug Anderson, Former US Medical Professional, Barbara Jean Lindsay, LA-based Cosmic Oracle, and Amanda Gabriel Prosser, Child Abuse Whistleblower.  Part 2 of the roundtable discussed:Living day-to-day with Covid-19Restrictions under State and Federal LawDisobedience, revolt or riots in local areasGovernmental inadequacies Enjoy the show…   For more information, email our host at roweaton@bigpond.com, or leave us a message on our contact page via tomspod.com!Support the show (https://www.tomspod.com/store.html)

On Friday 3rd April, our first Covid-19 Roundtable was held to discuss the disease named COVID-19 which originated in the Hubei Province in China, and the effect its spread is having on society as a whole.  Our roundtable was made up of Will Hamilton, Entrepreneur, Rob Newitt, Founder & Chairman of the Australian Federation Party in Tasmania and Member of the Federal Executive, Doug Anderson, Former US Medical Professional, Barbara Jean Lindsay, LA-based Cosmic Oracle, and Amanda Gabriel Prosser, Child Abuse Whistleblower.Part 1 of the roundtable discussed:Social DistancingMedical and Essential Goods supplyMainstream Media Fear MongeringEnjoy the show… For more information, email our host at roweaton@bigpond.com, or leave us a message on our contact page via tomspod.com!Support the show (https://www.tomspod.com/store.html)

In 2002, China was exposed to a range of extreme natural phenomena. Today we tackle the devastating floods that completely overwhelmed the Hubei Province, this day in weather history.

[REBROADCAST FROM JANUARY 26, 2021] Over a year ago, Wuhan, the city in Hubei Province, China where COVID-19 was first documented, went on lockdown. Two anonymous reporters covertly recorded inside a Wuhan hospital, where healthcare workers were too busy to monitor what they were capturing. The resulting documentary, "76 Days," directed by filmmaker Hao Wu and produced by MTV Documentary Films, provides an intimate and dire look inside a hospital as it faced PPE shortages, uncertainty, and an onslaught of patients infected with a virus that, at the time, we knew almost nothing about. Hao Wu joins us to talk about making this film and his experience documenting the genesis of what would, months later, become a global pandemic.

Hot dry noodles or热干面，a full bloom of cherry blossoms, and the Shennongjia natural reserve... We explore all the fun things to do in Hubei Province! / New draft regulation to prohibit student-teacher romance in primary and secondary schools / Motivational Monday

A chemical products factory in Xiangyang, Hubei Province, where the Chinese movie "Hi, Mom" was filmed has become a popular tourist destination after appearing in the time-travel comedy that became a hit during the Spring Festival holiday. Join Studio Plus to find out why the factory preserved in the style of 1980s China still fascinates people today.

One year ago, Wuhan, the city in Hubei Province, China where COVID-19 was first documented, went on lockdown. Two anonymous reporters covertly recorded inside a Wuhan hospital, where healthcare workers were too busy to monitor what they were capturing. The resulting documentary, "76 Days," directed by filmmaker Hao Wu and produced by MTV Documentary Films, provides an intimate and dire look inside a hospital as it faced PPE shortages, uncertainty, and an onslaught of patients infected with a virus that, at the time, we knew almost nothing about. Hao Wu joins us to talk about making this film and his experience documenting the genesis of what would, months later, become a global pandemic.

The CCP virus, which originated from China, has rampaged through the world and caused more than 80,000 deaths, infecting at least 1.4 million. The true number of deaths and infections is unknown due to the under reporting of cases from mainland China. In the new documentary presented by The Epoch Times and NTD, Epoch Times investigative reporter Joshua Philipp takes an in-depth look at the progression of the pandemic from January to April and leads us on a journey of discovery to bring the truth behind the matter to light. From the Huanan Seafood Market in Hubei Province to the scandals at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, from long-running experiments on viruses to military takeovers, suspicious activities arise from every corner. Through vigorous investigations and the piecing together of hidden information, the documentary will unearth a more complete understanding of the situation surrounding the rise of this pandemic. Suspicions uncovered from official reports and publicly available information also sprouted more questions, leading to surprising findings and inquiries. To watch the documentary here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le_rfTdayLs&t=1s

The coronavirus epidemic in China has had the world's attention for over two months now. There has been a litany of information which has led to the dissemination of misinformation around the situation in China from multiple sources worldwide. The Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Johannesburg Mr Tang joins us in studio to detail what the Chinese government is planning to do to manage the now officially reported 30,004 cases in Hubei Province. How will China manage the shut down city of Wuhan which has 12 million citizens?

Clean Life TakeawaysGet informed! CDC Links are a great resource.First identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, ChinaWorld Health Organization46,997 confirmed cases total46,550 lab confirmed cases in China1,368 deaths in ChinaReport of 13,332 cases from China on Feb 13th are based on clinical diagnosis, not lab testedOutside China: 447 confirmed cases in 24 countries, 2 deathsJan 30 - International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the WHO declared COVID a public health emergency of international concernCoronaviruses:Large family of viruses common in many different species of animalsStarted as a link to seafood and live animal market, but now cases of person-to-person spreadSpread from person to person happens in close contactThought to spread mainly via respiratory droplets - coughing, sneezing - similar to fluUnclear if person can get by touching a surface or object that has virus on itSymptomsFever, cough, shortness of breathCan appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 after exposureAs of February 12 - cases in USPositive - 15Negative -347Pending - 66States of confirmed cases: AZ, CA, WA, IL, MA, WIPrevention and treatmentCurrently no vaccineAvoid close contact with sick individualsAvoid touching eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed handsStay home if you are sickCover cough or sneeze with tissueClean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfacesWash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 secondsResponseLimiting travel into US for anyone who has been to china within past 14 daysGet the flu vaccine and take preventative action to stop spread of germsLaura's blog on hand washingInject Safe Barrier BandageVictory SprayersLinksAvKARE | Waltz D | Waltz Free | Store | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | BlogThe Clean Life | Twitter | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | YouTube

A plane carrying 178 people from Wuhan has arrived at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, the picture being painted from Hubei Province in China is a scary one and San Francisco Mayor London Breed says the closure of much of Market Street to private vehicles has been a success. Local people. Local stories. From the KCBS Radio Newsroom, this is "The All Local" for the afternoon of Wednesday, February 5, 2020.

2017-05-23 Special EnglishThis is Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. Here is the news.Beijing will award scholarships to students from the Belt and Road countries studying in 160 programs at universities in the city by 2020.The scholarship program was jointly initiated by the municipal education commission and finance bureau in December 2016. So far, a total of 64 programs have been covered by the scholarships, benefiting some 1,100 students.From 2016 to 2020, 32 undergraduate and postgraduate programs will be chosen each year.Last year, 32 programs of 23 universities were chosen, and 32 programs of 32 universities were chosen in 2017. The programs cover subjects including aerospace, legal studies and Traditional Chinese Medicine.Officials with the commission said they hope more high-level talent from Belt and Road countries will come study in Beijing and more educational cooperation will be carried out between Beijing and those countries.This is Special English.Chinese central government has called for more efforts in helping college graduates get jobs or start businesses. That's according to a statement issued recently after a national teleconference on employment.Premier Li Keqiang's written instruction on employment was read out at the conference, which was attended by other state leaders.The employment of college graduates matters to China's social stability, as a total of almost 8 million college students are expected to graduate this year.The central government asked local authorities and schools to encourage the students to work in the grassroots. They are also encouraged to seek jobs and start businesses in advanced manufacturing, strategic emerging industries, service and agriculture.In terms of general employment, the central government stressed enhanced vocational training and other public services.China has set employment targets of 11 million new urban jobs and a registered urban unemployment rate under 4.5 percent this year.You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. The length of Shanghai metro system is now the longest in the world, surpassing the size of networks in other world cities, including New York and Paris.Shanghai Party Secretary Han Zheng said infrastructure transportation within the city is now an important part of the development between urban and rural areas of Shanghai. Han added that Shanghai strengthened its position as global port city, with the transport of containers leading the world for the past 7 years. Freight transport out of Shanghai's main airports ranks the third in the world. Air passenger volumes have reached 100 million, which tops in China.In the next 5 years, more efforts will be made in the transportation integration of the Yangtze River Delta. Plans are in place to make every city within the Yangtze River Delta region reachable within 90 minutes of one another.Additionally, Shanghai will work to make public transport the most convenient means of transportation for its citizens.This is Special English.China has started a yearlong experiment using an airtight advanced life-support system to house eight volunteers as a way to help with the nation's goal of long-term manned deep-space exploration.The project's operator said the Lunar Palace 365 experiment was launched at the Lunar Palace 1 bio-regenerative life-support laboratory in Beihang University in Beijing. The eight volunteers are all postgraduate students at the university. They are divided into two teams and will undertake the experiment in three shifts. Once the team has entered the lab, team members will stay for 60 days before another team takes over. The second group will live in the lab for 200 days before the first team will complete the remaining 105 days. Lunar Palace 1 is capable of providing a habitable environment similar to Earth's biosphere and can support four people each time. It was designed to test and verify technologies to be used on space missions of extended duration in deep space, and with multiple crews. The 500-cubic-meter lab is sealed from the outside. During the experiment, volunteers will not leave the lab during their shifts unless they encounter emergencies.You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. China will carry on phasing out sub-standard production capacity, especially in the fields of steel and iron, coal-mining, as well as coal-fired power plants, to keep up with targets set for the year.The decision was made at a State Council executive meeting, which was presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.Li listened to reports on the latest progress of this year's campaign to cut excess capacities of steel, iron, coal-mining and coal-fueled power generation, as well as the findings of inspections over the drive in concrete and glass sectors.Li said the reforms offer the way forward in cutting overcapacity, which is a vital part of the supply-side structural reform.Li said China takes the initiative to reduce production capacity based on its own national conditions. The efforts are to make the growth model and economic structure shift to new economic drivers.The government work report Li delivered in March set targets for this year to cut steel and iron overcapacity by 50 million tonnes and coal mining by 150 million tonnes respectively. The targets also include phasing out coal-fired power generation capacity of more than 50 million kilowatts.This is Special English.A senior Chinese leader has urged more cooperation between Chinese and overseas Taoist circles in contributing to world peace and harmony.The chairman of China's top advisory body made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the fourth International Taoist Forum.The three-day event was held in the Wudang Mountains in central China's Hubei Province, with representatives from 30 countries and regions attending.The chairman said Taoism is rooted in Chinese culture, and could boost harmony between nations and religions. By supporting the forum, the Chinese government would like to promote exchange and understanding between Taoists in the world.The chairman called on Taoist circles and figures to building a global community of a shared destiny, world peace and humanism.Taoism is a religious belief originated from the writings and philosophy of Lao Tze who lived 2,500 years ago. According to his thoughts, everything in the universe was born from a vacuum, and a balance must be achieved between humans and nature. This is Special English.The collapse of a tunnel containing radioactive waste at the Hanford nuclear weapons complex in the United States underscored what critics have long been saying: The toxic remnants of the Cold War are being stored in haphazard and unsafe conditions, and time is running out to deal with the problem.Kevin Kamps of the anti-nuclear group "Beyond Nuclear" said that unfortunately, the crisis at Hanford is far from an isolated incident.For instance, at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the government is laboring to clean up groundwater contamination along with the 40 million gallons of radioactive liquid waste stored in tanks that are decades past their projected lifespan. The site opened in the 1950s and produced plutonium and tritium. The cleaning job is likely going to take decades.In addition to the tunnel collapse discovered recently, dozens of underground storage tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State are leaking highly radioactive materials. Some of the storage tanks dated to World War II.Anti-nuclear activists say the problem is that the U.S. government rushed to build nuclear weapons during the Cold War with little thought given to how to permanently dispose of the resulting waste.You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to crienglish.com. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. Now the news continues.Mandarin signs are being added at airports and railway stations in Italy, and free Wi-Fi services are being set up at public venues to make Chinese tourists' visits to the country easier.A senior Italian official said the Italian government is also encouraging hotels to provide more Chinese-friendly services in preparation for the 2018 European Union-China Tourism Year. The vice-minister of culture and tourism Dorina Bianchi made the remarks during an interview in Shanghai. She said such services will include hotel staff who are fluent in Chinese, rooms with China Central TV channels, acceptance of China UnionPay cards and hot drinking water to cater to Chinese stomachs.China has become the seventh-largest source of tourists for Italy after years of continuous leaps since a wave of outbound travel to Italy began in 2004.Statistics from the Italian consulate general in Guangzhou show that Italy received a record 900,000 visitors from the Chinese mainland last year, and the numbers have maintained double-digit annual growth for the past decade. Longer stays are being considered for Chinese with tourist visas. Italy guarantees that its visa application process will be completed within 36 hours for Chinese tourists.This is Special English.A group of college students from the China West Normal University in Sichuan province launched a fundraising to buy a cell phone for a sanitation worker who lost his phone during work.The sanitation worker surnamed Ren rejected the offer at first, saying a phone is too much for the students who were not making any money. But the students insisted, and he finally accepted the phone.Sixty-three-year-old Ren lost his phone when he was cleaning a street near the university. Students tried to help him by putting up posters but the effort ended in vain.Later one of the students suggested a fundraising; and more than 100 students donated 800 yuan, roughly 120 US dollars, to buy the cell phone.You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing.A photo competition on giant panda conservation and research is being held in Sichuan province in southwest China. The event lasts from May till early November.The competition is jointly organized by the China Conservation and Research Center for the giant panda and Jiuzhaigou, a scenic attraction in the province. A total of 200,000 yuan, roughly 30,000 U.S. dollars will be offered as prize to the winners.Award-winning works will be displayed overseas in locations including the headquarters of the United Nations in New York. Organizers say the competition aims to increase people's attention on panda conservation and research. Entries are welcome from both at home and abroad.Jiuzhaigou is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a natural habitat for pandas.This is Special English.For three hours, a dog was running back and forth at the beach, picking up waste cans, abandoned slippers and floating plastic bags. This happened in the seawater at a tourist attraction in the coastal city of Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province.The 8-year-old golden retriever named Tiger has become an online celebrity for its dedication to cleaning the beach over the past five years. A video featuring its efforts has been viewed more than 70,000 times.Its owner says the dog showed a keen interest in picking up floating objects five years ago. Whenever Tiger spots garbage in the seawater, it will rush to pick it up and bring it back. But as it grew old, the dog lost some of its vision and is showing other health problems.This is the end of this edition of Special English. To freshen up your memory, I'm going to read one of the news items again at normal speed. Please listen carefully.This is the end of today's program. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing, and I hope you can join us every day, to learn English and learn about the world.

2017-03-27 Special EnglishThis is Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. Here is the news.A Long March-7 carrier rocket has arrived at a launch center in south China in preparation for the launch of China&`&s first cargo spacecraft in April.After around a week of ocean and rail transport, the carrier rocket arrived in Hainan Province. It will undergo assembly and testing prior to the April launch of China&`&s first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1.The Tianzhou-1 is expected to dock with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab three times and conduct propellant refueling in orbit. It will also conduct other space experiments before getting back to earth. Tiangong-2 will remain in orbit and continue its experiments.The Long March-7 is a medium-sized carrier rocket that can carry up to 14 tonnes of cargo to low-Earth orbit. It is able to carry cargo spacecraft and man-made satellites. It made its maiden flight in June last year.The launch of Tianzhou-1 will complete the second phase of China&`&s manned space program. It is a crucial step for China in building a space station by 2020. This is Special English.China and the United States have the greatest potential to lead advances in disruptive technology. That&`&s according to a recent report by an international accounting firm KPMG.The annual report is called "The Changing Landscape of Disruptive Technologies". It is based on a survey of over 800 global technology leaders including start-up entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 executives.This year&`&s poll reflected a slight uptick for China. Twenty-five percent of respondents said they believe China can be a leader in disruptive technology, compared with 23 percent last year.Those endorsing the United States declined slightly from 29 percent a year ago to 26 percent now.China continues to make rapid gains as it moves from a reliance on manufacturing to an innovation powerhouse.Through the use of disruptive technology, including cloud computing and the Internet of Things, Chinese companies are jumping on the new business opportunities.Visionary entrepreneurial leaders including Jack Ma of Alibaba are known and greatly respected globally.Shanghai was identified as the top leading technology innovation hub in addition to Silicon Valley over the next four years, followed by New York, Tokyo and Beijing. The city&`&s ranking was based on its strong regional position in financial markets and numerous hi-tech parks. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. China&`&s top health authority has urged tightened supervision over the clinical use of antibiotic drugs to contain drug-resistance strains.A warning has been issued by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, China&`&s health watchdog.The commission said health departments and medical institutions at all levels should reinforce supervision on antibiotic use and carry out inspections at least twice a year.It encouraged medical institutions to join the efforts to monitor the clinical use of antibiotic drugs and drug-resistant strains to improve the early warning mechanism.Abuse of antibiotics can give rise to new strains of hardy bacteria that can live and even thrive despite the use of the medication.At present, drug-resistant infections have become a major challenge to global public health, causing the death of 700,000 people and 230,000 newborns worldwide every year.In August last year, the commission issued a national action plan to tighten supervision over antibiotic production, sale and use. This is Special English.China&`&s first big data research center for children&`&s health was founded in central China&`&s Hubei Province in a bid to improve children&`&s medical care system.The center was set up by Wuhan University and a Beijing-based pediatric technology firm. It aims to develop a more complete medical care system for children in disease prevention, diagnosis and personalized treatment.The center has collected information on more than 200,000 children in 70 hospitals across seven provinces. The collection will expand to 300 hospitals by the end of this year, and 1,000 by 2020.The research center said it will develop into a national cloud platform for children&`&s health information, offering standards on personalized medical care and clinical treatment.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing.The forest coverage of Beijing has more than tripled from 13 percent to 42 percent since China launched a national tree-planting campaign three decades ago.The proportion of green land in urban Beijing increased from 20 percent in 1980 to 48 percent last year.A total of 200 million saplings have been planted since the campaign began in the early 1980s.Last year, the city planted trees on 13,000 hectares of land. This year, the city will plant one million more trees.The tree-planting campaign has led to fewer barren mountains, and authorities have encouraged residents to register to take care of the trees.In 1979, China designated March 12 as National Tree Planting Day.This is Special English.Ceremonies have been held to commemorate the 92nd anniversary of the death of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Sun was a renowned statesman who led the revolution that ended imperial rule in China in 1911.Representatives from all walks of life attended a ceremony in a park named after him in Beijing.Officials and residents of east China&`&s Jiangsu Province marked the day at Sun&`&s mausoleum in Nanjing, the province&`&s capital city, honoring his achievements and role in the revolution.Sun was born in 1866 and is known to the Chinese people as a "great revolutionary and statesman" for his leading role during the 1911 Revolution, which ended more than 2,000 years of feudal rule in China.Sun died in Beijing in 1925. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to crienglish.com. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. Now the news continues.China will publish the Analects of Confucius in foreign languages this year. The book is a collection of ideas and sayings from the Chinese philosopher.The China Confucius Foundation and a publishing group in east China&`&s Shandong Province will jointly complete the translation and publication of the collection. The five foreign languages are Arabic, Mongolian, Czech, Portuguese and Spanish.The translations will be distributed to the countries through the foundation and global Confucius institutes.The thoughts of Confucius constitute the root of Chinese traditional culture and have profoundly influenced Chinese society over the past 2,500 years.Confucius was born in Shandong in 551. He founded a school of thought that influenced later generations and became known as Confucianism. He is believed to be the first person to set up private schools in China and enroll students including the poor.The Analects is a collection of his famous sayings, reflecting his political views, moral principles and educational ideas. Among his classic sayings are "How happy we are to have friends from afar" and "Do not do to others what you don&`&t want to be done to you".The Analects has already been translated into English, Japanese, Russian, Korean, French and German.This is Special English.Two special exhibitions are underway at the National Gallery Singapore to showcase the evolution of Chinese ink painting and its impact on Singapore art history.The exhibition is entitled "Rediscovering Treasures". It is the first comprehensive survey by a national museum to focus on collections from Xiu Hai Lou, one of the most important ink collections in Singapore.The exhibition offers important insights into how art collecting and patronage developed in Singapore during the early 20th century. It provides visitors with the chance to see rare masterpieces by prominent artists in China.Chen Chong Swee was one of the first artists in Singapore to use Chinese ink painting techniques to depict local landscapes. The exhibition "Strokes of Life: The Art of Chen Chong Swee" is a major retrospective survey of Chen&`&s artistic career spanning six decades, and it focuses on his key contributions to artistic developments in Singapore from the 1950s to the 1980s.Many of the masterpieces are rarely seen in public.The exhibitions will run till the end of this year. The National Gallery Singapore will organize a series of complementary programs to encourage greater appreciation of ink art, including lectures by respected academics and practitioners, and hands-on activities for visitors of all ages.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. A survey shows that Hong Kong&`&s customer service industry is in need of young talents. It also notes that only around a third of local young job seekers consider working in the industry as full-time.The survey was conducted by the Hong Kong Association for Customer Service Excellence. It interviewed 1,300 local customers, customer service employers and graduate job seekers in December last year.Only 32 percent of the young job seekers considered working in customer service industry as full-time. The long working hours and high pressure are the key problems of their concern.At the same time, 74 percent of customer service employees shared the same perception.Given the tight supply of young joiners in the market, employers must put considerable resources on recruiting and retaining job talents, including offering competitive salary and providing better career path and a happier workplace.Helping young people understand the positive sides of the customer service industry and focusing on work-life balance are also two effective ways to attract more talents.The survey also showed that 80 percent of local customers have experienced good customer service in the past 12 months, and the data has been at a high level since 2013.This is Special English.Local authorities in Southwest China&`&s Guizhou province began a search for possible siblings of a girl who was abandoned around 10 years ago and was later adopted by a Canadian couple.If they succeed, the girl will have a good chance of curing her disease through a bone-marrow transplant.The girl, named Hosanna, was left alone on the doorsteps of a county police station in 2007. When they failed to find her parents, the police sent her to a local welfare house.Greg and Cathy Crowell, a couple who already had four children, adopted her later that month, knowing that she had a disease. They called her &`&Hosanna&`&, which is Hebrew for "savior".Hosanna suffers from a severe hereditary blood disorder resulting from the poor ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen.Following doctors&`& advice, Hosanna spent her life receiving blood transfusions every two to three weeks, as well as daily injections to remove excessive iron from the transfusions.Hosanna can survive with blood transfusions, but she will need them for her entire life.In the past decade, Hosanna, who will celebrate her 11th birthday this spring, has been living in Alberta, Canada, with the couple. They have returned to the welfare house during that time, but have had no luck in finding her biological parents.Doctors in China and Canada have told the couple that the only way to cure Hosanna is through a bone-marrow transplant, which requires a match that is most likely to be found in siblings.The couple recently posted an open letter online, announcing a search for relatives of the girl. They offered to cover the cost of the blood tests to find a match.The letter caught the attention of the authorities in the county where Hosanna was originally found. The authorities have pledged to assist the couple in their search.While there have been no leads so far, the couple said they remain hopeful.（全文见周六微信。）

This is Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Here is the news.China&`&s environmental inspectors have named and shamed more cities for poor air quality control as the fight against smog continues.Inspectors looked at 18 cities in north China&`&s Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province, using unannounced checks at night and undercover methods. The Ministry of Environmental Protection found that Handan city in Hebei Province continues to illegally operate coal-fired boilers. The boilers have been dismantled and further investigations are underway.In Cangzhou city in the same province, an oil pipe maker, a major source of emissions, was not included in the list of companies to halt production on heavily polluted days.A cement producer in Beijing used more electricity than usual in December when it should have suspended production. Two other cement firms were wrongly exempted from production suspensions. The environment ministry has criticized several other cities for not doing enough in curbing the use of "scattered coal". Scattered coal is burned by households or small factories for heating and is much dirtier than that used by thermal plants, which have the equipment to reduce emissions.China is intensifying efforts to fight pollution and environmental degradation after decades of growth left the country saddled with problems including smog and contaminated soil.This is Special English.The new strain of H7N9 bird flu virus confirmed earlier this month could become drug-resistant. A leading specialist in respiratory diseases warns that it might be resistant already.Human cases of the flu have been rising in China.Two human cases of the new strain were reported in Guangdong province. It shows resistance to a commonly used drug in the prevention and treatment of flu.Experts say although the two patients are resistant to the drug, it has been effective for most human H7N9 cases. This means that most H7N9 viruses have not mutated to the new strain.The experts said that although the new H7N9 strain shows resistance to the drug, the drug could still have an effect on the strain.Both patients have used the drug before, so it is not known whether the drug resistance is caused by previous use of the dug or by a mutation of the virus.Scientists say the possible drug-resistant nature of the new strain deserves more attention.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing.China has issued a revised regulation on improving education for the disabled. The regulation was signed by Premier Li Keqiang and will take effect in May.The revision stressed stepping up efforts in developing compulsory, vocational, preschool and senior secondary education for the disabled.For compulsory education, disabled students should be enrolled in normal or special schools near to their home. Those who cannot attend school in person should have teachers visit or receive distance education. Disabled students in regular schools should be taught by teachers with experience in special education.The regulation says vocational education for the disabled should focus on skill cultivation and career guidance.It also stresses raising payment for special education workers, allocating proper funds for the education of disabled people in government budgets and offering subsidies to disabled students with financial difficulties.The initial regulation was enacted in 1994 to guarantee the rights to education for the disabled.This is Special English.International schools in China are posing new challenges for parents who spend huge sums but often find themselves unprepared for a range of issues.The Legal Daily reports that in top-tier cities including Beijing and Shanghai, many parents send their children to international schools to allow them early preparation for studying abroad. Admission has become more competitive amid China&`&s rising number of high income earners and some schools now assess parental participation in community activities before admitting a child.One recent report said international schools in China lack standards in tuition, vary greatly in educational quality, while school ownership is sometimes unclear.International schools in the country come in different forms and many follow the International Baccalaureate curriculum or that of the country they represent.As a new approach, some public high schools have also opened international classes to offer a quick transition abroad. They have become popular among parents, though native English speakers are in the minority as Chinese students comprise 90 percent of classes.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing.China&`&s biggest manufacturer of carrier rockets will soon begin to develop the next-generation Long March 8 medium-lift carrier rocket to meet the demands of commercial launch services.Scientists say the Long March 8 will have a modular design and will use engines that have been used by the Long March 5 and Long March 7, both new rockets developed by China.Its core stage will be based on those used by the Long March 7 and Long March 3A, and it will have two solid-propelled boosters that are 2 meters in diameter.China will spend up to three years on its development and if everything goes well, its maiden flight will take place by the end of 2018.The Long March 8 will be capable of sending a payload of about 5 metric tons to a sun-synchronous orbit, or 3 tons to geosynchronous transfer orbit. In a sun-synchronous orbit, a satellite circles the Earth at the same rate that the Earth orbits the sun. With a geosynchronous orbit, the satellite matches the rotation of the Earth.Scientists say the use of the Long March 8 will extensively reduce the launch costs of low-and middle-orbit satellites, giving it bright prospects in the commercial launch market.This is Special English.China&`&s first high level biosafety laboratory has been accredited and will be fully operational soon.The Chinese Academy of Sciences say the certificate was issued by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment.The lab is based in Wuhan, the capital city of central China&`&s Hubei Province. It will be used to study class four pathogens, or P4, the most virulent viruses that pose a high risk of aerosol transmission.P4 is the highest biosafety level.The lab will help China prevent and control outbreaks of infectious diseases and aid research and development into antiviral drugs and vaccines.All the air from the lab will go through two advanced filters before being discharged, while solid and liquid waste will also be properly processed.The lab has undergone trial operations since its construction was completed at the end of 2014. Some of the core research teams have been trained in France and the United States.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to crienglish.com. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. Now the news continues.Chinese telecoms company ZTE has unveiled the Gigabit Phone, the world&`&s first smartphone with 5G technology, in Barcelona, the host city of the forthcoming Mobile World Congress in Spain.The phone has a download speed of up to 1 Gigabit per second. It is powered by a processor that represents an important step for 5G technology. The company said it marks an important cornerstone for the 5G mobile era.It said the phone will lead to a new world of mobile experience with 360-degree panoramic VR video, instant Cloud storage, entertainment upgrades and fast cache of ultra Hi-Fi music and films.ZTE is a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment, networking solutions and one of the world&`&s fastest growing smartphone manufacturers.This is the 13th time that ZTE has attended the Mobile World Congress, the world&`&s largest mobile industry event. This is Special English.The surface area of China&`&s largest inland saltwater lake has expanded over the past decade, as rainfall increases and temperatures rise.Qinghai Lake is located in northwest China&`&s Qinghai Province. A recent survey reveals that the surface area of lake reached 4,500 square kilometers last year. It marks an increase of 170 square kilometers from 12 years ago. The lake has been expanding since 2005 due to abundant precipitation in the surrounding areas and more snow melting due to warm weather.In 2008, Qinghai invested 2 billion yuan, roughly 230 million U.S. dollars, in grassland restoration and reforestation projects. The project aimed to prevent the desert area around the lake from expanding.Qinghai Lake plays an important role in the ecological security of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The lake had been shrinking since the 1950s, but the combined effects of conservation and changes to the regional climate turned things around in 2005. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing.Wenchang is the location of China&`&s fourth satellite launch center in tropical Hainan province. The city will be built into an international aerospace center with a focus on developing six related industries. Wenchang is also China&`&s first coastal launch center which became operational last year. Located around 19 degrees north of the equator, the center is suitable for launching many types of satellites, large space station components, as well as lunar and interplanetary missions.A plan has been drafted to develop the launch center into a space industry base, in a bid to open it up to international, commercial launches.The city will focus on six related industries including heavy space equipment assembling, space science research, finance, space breeding, tourism and international training.The mayor of the city says the launch center has provided unprecedented opportunities for Wenchang to develop, and the city is making full use of its advantages to benefit the local economy and tourism.An official from the city government said Wenchang has started to support the development of its rural areas with space technology.This is Special English.A book aiming to serve as an introduction to the origins and evolution of Chinese culture has been published by China Social Sciences Press in Beijing.The book "Concise Reader of Chinese Culture" covers a number of different perspectives, ranging from Chinese values to Chinese aesthetics. It was published in response to President Xi Jinping&`&s call to promote the country&`&s traditional culture.A chief editor of China Social Sciences Press said the book condenses 5,000 years of history into round 200,000 words.As the 15th publication in the "Understanding China" series, the book will be translated into English, Russian and Spanish.Stephen C. Angle, professor of Philosophy and East Asian Studies at Wesleyan University, said it is of great importance that Chinese people understand China. This is Special English.A Chinese short film named "Distracted Driving" won the second prize of the 2017 Global Road Safety Film Festival.The film was produced by the Road Traffic Safety Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. It displayed the consequences of using smartphones while driving on the road.Every year 1.3 million people are killed and around 50 million injured in road traffic crashes, making it one of the most pressing health emergencies of our time.The festival brought together 230 films from countries across the globe. The winner of the grand prix prize went to "Reflections from Inside Dawn" produced by the NGO "We save lives" from the United States. That is the end of this edition of Special English. To freshen up your memory, I&`&m going to read one of the news items again at normal speed. Please listen carefully.(全文见周六微信。)

This is Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Here is the news.More than 18 million children were born in Chinese hospitals last year, an increase of 11 percent from 2015. More than 45 percent of the newborns were not the first child of the family.Last year, China saw the largest number of newborns since 2000, following the abolition of the decades-long one-child policy.Moreover, the health authority reports that the maternal and infant mortality rates also dropped last year.China has pledged to improve maternal and child care services by increasing the number of obstetricians, midwives and hospital beds.This is Special English.China will host a United Nations meeting on fighting desertification in September.An estimated 1,400 delegates from around 200 parties to a United Nations special convention on desertification will participate in the event. They will gather in Ordos in north China&`&s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region for the meeting.The participants will discuss their national goals and action plans to achieve zero net land degradation by 2030. China&`&s desertified areas were greatly reduced in the period between 2009 and 2014.According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, 12 million hectares of land are lost to desertification every year across the globe. And the figure could rise due to population growth, climatic reasons and unsustainable farming practices. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing.More than 100 golf courses have been banned in China, as part of its efforts to clamp down on illegal use of land and water resources.Of the total 680 golf courses across China, 110 have been closed since a national project was launched in 2011.Among their illicit behavior, these golf courses were found to have illegally used large amounts of arable land or nature reserve areas, or extracted groundwater in prohibited areas. Eighteen of the golf courses have been required to return their illegally occupied land, and another 47 have been ordered to stop business activities or construction. The central government has ordered the rectification of the remaining 500 golf courses, of which a dozen have closed voluntarily. China imposed a ban on the construction of new golf courses in 2004, when there were fewer than 200 in the country. However, the number continued to rise as the sport gained popularity, especially among business people and government officials. Golf courses are seen in all provincial-level regions except Tibet.This is Special English.Moving some colleges out of central Beijing, either to the suburbs or other cities, is necessary to ease overcrowding; but experts say any new locations will have to first meet the needs of the employees. Beijing&`&s rich education resources have long attracted large numbers of people from across China, leading to chronic congestion and putting a strain on public services. To alleviate the problem, the city government released a five-year plan last year for education development. The plan aims in part to keep higher-education institutes small in size. It also aims to remove some university facilities from central areas. Experts say it is imperative that some colleges and universities leave the city, but they expect it to be a long term process.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing.Seven hundred million Chinese people, or around half of the country&`&s total population, had used mobile phones to access the Internet as of the end of last year.The number of people who used their mobile phones to surf online continued to increase by an annual 10 percent during the past three years. Last year, almost 500 million people used mobile phones to make payments, an increase of 30 percent from a year earlier.China has more than 700 million internet users, accounting for 53 percent of the total population. The user number increase is now stable after almost 10 years of fast growth.Last year, the public used Internet-based government services more often than they used offline service centers and hotlines to access government information. Officials say this means that government information was disclosed to the public in an increasingly mobile, immediate and transparent manner.This is Special English.Surgeons in a central China hospital have succeeded in performing two complex pediatric heart surgery operations using 3D printing technology.One of the patients was a 13-year-old girl who suffered a condition which causes her heart muscle to grow abnormally thickly. The other patient was a 3-year-old boy with severe left ventricular outflow tract obstructions.Complexity was involved in both cases. Doctors at the hospital used a 3D printer to produce full-size replicas of the patients&`& hearts. The models allowed doctors to carefully study the condition and plan the operations.The surgery was successful and the patients are recovering.The event marked the first time that 3D printing technology was used in Hunan Province for pediatric cardiovascular surgery. This is Special English.Shanghai police have detained a gang of 83 people for faking auctions with illegal gains of 6 million yuan, roughly 870,000 U.S. dollars.The suspects charged antique owners high commission fees for fake auctions. They then told the clients that their auction items remained unsold.The suspects were also found to have issued fake authentication certificates and charged very high fees.Police started investigating the case in July last year when three fake auctions were discovered in the city.Around 100 people had been captured as of mid-December, with 83 of them facing criminal charges. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to newsplusradio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That&`&s mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues.A teenage pop star from China, Wang Yuan, has addressed a United Nations youth forum at the UN headquarters in New York.Wang spoke at the United Nations youth forum on Jan. 31, calling for equal access to high quality education for young people worldwide.Wang is a member of the popular boys band TFboys. He told the crowd that China has 280 million young people, which is the second largest youth population in the world. He said he is fortunate to work with the United Nations to end poverty, promote gender equality and combat climate change.Wang said his dream for 2030 is that every young person will have access to good quality education; and girls have the same potential to achieve amazing things as boys.The United Nations youth forum is aimed at involving the efforts of youth to eradicate poverty and promote prosperity across the globe. This is Special English.Beijing has received more than 2 billion cubic meters of diverted water from the Yangtze River, benefiting 11 million local people.Since it began operation in December 2014, the south-to-north water diversion project has pumped over 2 billion cubic meters of water to Beijing, with 70 percent of the water from the Yangtze River.The water has been stored in reservoirs or is being used for groundwater, rivers and lakes.Officials say the project is running smoothly and safely. The water supply is stable and the water quality is up to standard.The project has greatly relieved the water shortage problems in the city. Previously, Beijing relied mainly on underground water with high calcium and magnesium salt levels.The middle route of the diversion project transmits water through canals and pipes from a reservoir in central China&`&s Hubei Province, bringing water to northern China. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing.Major parks in Beijing received a record high of 460,000 visitors in a single day on January 31, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year holiday.The visitor numbers in a dozen parks were up 14 percent year on year.Temple fairs, cultural exhibitions and other traditional events were held in the parks to celebrate the Spring Festival.Major parks in Beijing attracted some 1.4 million visitors during the week-long holiday.Beijing had blue skies for most of the holiday week, after the city had seen frequent smog earlier in the winter. This is Special English.The Chinese New Year was in the beginning of spotlight at a newly-founded cultural center in Athens, as Greeks celebrated the Year of the Rooster.On the weekend of the New Year, 40 children aged four to eight attended a craft workshop where they had the chance to make their own traditional Chinese paper kite. To many of the children, this was their first experience of Chinese culture.Excited about their new decorative toys, the children played in the vast indoor and outdoor spaces of the cultural center, flying kites.Adults were invited to make paper mache lanterns to take home with them, as a souvenir of their participation in the celebration. Afterwards, they decorated a wire dragon figure with paper strips and lighting, and attempted their first dragon dance. The auspicious dragon is a symbol of good luck, wisdom and power in Chinese culture.The workshops were followed by two Chinese film screenings, with one being the 2011 martial arts drama "Dragon", and the other, "The Grand master", a 2013 film based on the life of Chinese martial-arts grand master Ip Man.A statement from the center said that starting with the Chinese New Year celebration, its goal is to introduce a new events section to initiate visitors into foreign cultures.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing.A naval ship has been found in southern Sweden some 400 years after it went missing.The naval ship was the first to set sail from a naval base in southern Sweden in 1682 and is considered to have marked the launch of the famed shipbuilding history of the country.With its 70 canons and 450-strong crew, the ship was used in the bombing of Copenhagen and King Karl the Twelfth&`&s landing in Denmark in 1700. Later, the ship fell into oblivion.Last year, the area in southern Sweden where the ship was clearly marked out was located on old maps of the area.Diving expeditions were carried out and it was confirmed that an old shipwreck was indeed buried in thick layers of sediment at the bottom of the sea.Now, all evidence seem to point to it being a well-known warship and it seems it was deliberately sunk, with the intention of using it as a blockhouse.However, the ship will likely not be salvaged because marine biologists cannot tell how much of the ship remains. But there is a theory that at least one deck is intact.This is Special English.A collection of over 300 works of art from Russia&`&s State Historical Museum is on display at a museum in north China&`&s Shanxi Province.The items on display in the Shanxi Museum include oil paintings, sculptures, fashion and jewelry, as well as gold and silver ware from the 18th and 19th centuries.The collection displays the life of the Russian people in that period. The curator of the museum says the event has helped visitors to understand Russia, as well as its culture and history.Last November, as part of the cultural exchange program, a similar show from the province was held in Moscow.The exhibition is free of charge and will run until May before moving on to other parts of China.That is the end of this edition of Special English. To freshen up your memory, I&`&m going to read one of the news items again at normal speed. Please listen carefully.That is the end of today&`&s program. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing, and I hope you will join us every day, to learn English and learn about the world.

This is Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. Here is the news. China has experienced an increase in cases of online data leaks in the past few years due to the development of the "cyber black market". That&`&s according to a report by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences&`& Institute of Information. The report is entitled "The Annual Report on Development of Cyberspace Security in China". It says cases relating to information leaks have become more frequent since last year, including the high-profile case involving Gfan, China&`&s largest online platform for Android systems. In the case, data of the platform&`&s more than 23 million users, including their names, passwords and email addresses, were made public on the internet. An estimated 560,000 people were engaged in the industry in the first six months of this year. From June last year to June this year, economic losses resulting from text message spam, online scams and information leaks totaled 91 billion yuan, roughly 13 billion U.S. dollars. Such losses were attributed to the cyber black market, a commercial chain where participants including hackers and network operators gain profits illegally. The industry is a growing multi-billion-US dollar economy. Experts say the most effective way of addressing the problem is to pass legislation on protecting information and clarify governmental departments&`& obligation on law enforcement and supervision. This is Special English.Northeast China has seen a population loss of more than 1 million people in the last ten years. Among them, many are high income earners and well-educated who are seeking better jobs and lifestyles outside the region.The National Development and Reform Commission released the information to counter earlier reports that northeast China was losing a population of one million people each year. Northeast China refers to the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. It had long been one of China&`&s industrial heartlands. But in recent decades, northeast China is seeing a slower economic growth, which is a major concern of the regional governments. Wage levels for college graduates are similarly uncompetitive due to a relatively poor economy. The average salary levels in the region are one of the lowest in the country. The National Development and Reform Commission says many talents in the region have turned to companies elsewhere in China which offer better terms and conditions of employment.But some commentators suggested that it is not all about money; and the system has long applied restrains to the development of individuals. A low birth rate has also in contributed to the downward trend in the population growth in northeast China. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei said he heard mysterious knocks during his trip in space.Yang recalled his experience in space during a recent interview with China Central Television. He said the unusual situation he was met with in space were non-causal knocks that appeared from time to time during his travel in the spaceship more than ten years ago.He explained the noise often suddenly appeared without any rhyme or reason. "It neither came from outside nor inside the spaceship, but it sounded like someone was knocking on the spaceship, as if someone was using a wooden hammer to hit an iron bucket." Those were Yang&`&s words when he was talking about how he was nervous at first, and how he moved close to the porthole to try to find out what the noise was. However, nothing out of the ordinary appeared on both the inside and outside of the spaceship.After returning to earth, he told technicians about the noise, and tried to imitate it with some instruments so as to solve the mystery. But upon reflection, Yang has said he has never heard the exact noise again.But the same noise was heard by astronauts onboard other spaceships including the Shenzhou 6 and Shenzhou 7 space crafts. In October 2003, Yang returned to earth in his re-entry module after a 21-hour trip in space. After his trip, Yang became the world&`&s 241st human being to visit outer space.This is Special English.Public facilities across Beijing will soon have their own QR codes so that the public can access the "identity information" and interact with the city management.From things like dustbins to street signs and even bus stop boards, all facilities in Beijing will have their own QR code displayed on them before 2018.Currently, 50 streets including Beijing&`&s central thoroughfare, the Chang&`&an Avenue, have major public facilities with QR codes on them. When scanned, the code opens an information page on the smart device. The information tells people whom to contact to report any damage to public facilities or whoever is responsible for maintenance and repair.People can also use the social-networking app WeChat to report any issues to the management or search for the nearest metro stations or public restrooms.This is Special English.China&`&s top economic planner has approved a plan to build an intercity railway network linking Beijing and neighboring city Tianjin as well as Hebei province. The blueprint targets the year 2020 as its initial phase. The whole system consists of nine rail lines with a total length of 1,100 kilometers. The National Development and Reform Commission estimated the total investment to be 250 billion yuan. That&`&s roughly 36 billion U.S. dollars. The network is a major infrastructure project of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integrated development plan. Three major lines will connect Beijing, Tianjin and the capital of Hebei Province with high-speed trains traveling at up to 350 kilometers per hour. The commuting time between any pair of the three cities will be cut down to less than an hour. Last year, China passed the Outline of Collaborative Development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province. The outline proposed removing some of Beijing&`&s noncapital functions to neighboring areas to control pollution and improve transport conditions. Experts say the new railway network will greatly boost real estate development in the area. The preparatory work of certain lines, including that from Beijing to Tangshan city, has already started.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to newsplusradio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That&`&s mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues.Plans are in the pipeline for an animated movie featuring the prehistoric Sanxingdui Ruins in southwest China&`&s Sichuan Province.The film, "The Golden Mask", tells the story of a golden mask found during the excavation of some mysterious ruins.The movie features fantasy, adventure and also time travel. It is said to be produced and screened on 3D and IMAX screens and will be released in 2019.With an investment of 20 million U.S. dollars, the movie has secured copyright certificates from China and the United States. The crew includes a director, an art designer and a composer from Hollywood.A spokesperson said in a recent news release that the movie aims to spread the mysterious culture that surrounds Sanxingdui Ruins.The ruins are located some 40 kilometers from Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan. They are believed to be remnants of the ancient Shu Kingdom that disappeared for unknown reasons some 3,000 years ago.Sprawling over an area of 12 square kilometers, the ruins are listed among China&`&s top 10 archaeological findings of the 20th century, and are seen as representing the origins of ancient Chinese civilization.This is Special English.Gripping tiny slices of sheer rock and hoisting himself up 3,000 feet with only his strength, Adam Ondra quietly inched his way up one of the world&`&s most challenging rock walls and into the record books.Ondra, a 23-year-old from the Czech Republic, took eight days to finish the free-climb up the Dawn Wall of the famed El Capitan in California&`&s Yosemite National Park.Ondra&`&s recent accomplishment was the second-ever free assent of the wall.Nearly two years ago, U.S. climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson were first to chart and conquer the route, a feat that took the pair 19 days.Jorgeson said it&`&s like being a proud parent, in a way, because he feels honored that Ondra was drawn to the challenge. He said that is the point: To raise the bar so someone else can do the same thing and stand on your shoulders.Unlike climbers who need more elaborate equipment, free-climbers use their strength and ability to grasp tiny cracks and lips in the granite rock with their fingertips and toes. They use ropes and harnesses only for safety to catch if they fall.Throughout the climb, Ondra took to social media to post about the cold, soaking rain and the pain from the granite wearing down the skin on his fingers. He also celebrated victories.He wrote on Instagram as he neared the top that it was hard to find the words to describe how he felt. One of his posts said that he had made it up the Wino Tower and had no more hard pitches to guard his way to the top. He said this made him feel that he could not ask for a better day.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. Stone helmets, armor and animal remains are among the latest archaeological finds at Emperor Qinshihuang&`&s mausoleum in Xi&`&an in northwest China.The items have been found in the celebrated site, which is home to China&`&s iconic Terracotta Warriors.During a recent excavation, archaeologists have found out about the mausoleum&`&s general structure, which was previously unknown. A large number of new pits have been discovered. Among them, more than 400 were located within the mausoleum and dozens of small tombs were found near the site.Experts believe the stone helmets and armor were not for wearing, but their real functions remained unknown. The finds also include several thousand pieces of animal remains and other animal-related objects, making it the largest number of animal-related discoveries ever found in a single site.One of the most commonly seen animals unearthed at the site were horses. Horse images can be found on pottery and copper wares. Other animals include some very rare bird species and beasts.This is Special English.A total of 160 items originally received by public servants as business gifts went up for auction recently in central China&`&s Hubei Province.The gift items were turned in by staff from almost 30 government organs, public institutions and state-owned enterprises in the past two years in Wuhan, the provincial capital.China does not allow public servants to receive gifts. Those who take business gifts must hand them in and register them within one month. The auction was seen by many as showing the local government&`&s determination to fight corruption.Jewelry, paintings, watches and electronic devices were among the items for the auction. The initial bidding price of all items totaled almost 600,000 yuan, roughly 86,000 U.S. dollars.Around 200 people showed up at the event and almost the auctions were successful.（全文见周日微信。）

This is Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Here is the news.The world&`&s largest radio telescope has been put into use in a mountainous region of southwest China&`&s Guizhou Province.The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, or FAST, is built to explore space and hunt for extraterrestrial life. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to scientists, engineers and builders on the launch.Located in a karst valley, construction of the project started in 2011, 17 years after it was proposed by Chinese astronomers. The whole project cost 1.2-billion-yuan, roughly 180 million U.S. dollars.The installation of the telescope&`&s main structure was finished in early July. It was a 4,500-panel reflector as large as 30 football pitches.In a recent trial observation, the telescope received a set of high-quality electromagnetic waves from a pulsar around 1,300 light-years away.Nobel laureate Joseph Taylor at Princeton University in the United States said the telescope will certainly generate enthusiasm, bring people into science, and make China important in the world of science.The astronomer was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1993 for discovering indirect proof of gravitational waves with the assistance of Puerto Rico&`&s Arecibo Observatory. The observatory is home to a radio telescope that is 350 meters in diameter.This is Special English.The National Tourism Administration has released ratings, listing the best and worst scenic spots, tourism agencies, tour guides and tourists during the national holiday week in early October. The ratings are part of new efforts by the administration to strengthen supervision and management of the tourism market and to improve services offered by scenic spots and their staff. It also aims to create a favorable environment for travelers during holidays.In the ratings, some attractions, including the Palace Museum in Beijing, were praised for their management and smooth operations. Other places, including the Three Gorges Tourism Zone in Hubei Province were credited for their contribution to the national "tourism toilet revolution" campaign. This is an initiative sponsored by the administration to renovate public toilets at tourism spots nationwide. Almost 600 million trips were logged during the weeklong holiday which started on October 1. The administration said that thanks to effective measures taken by the tourism departments at all levels, there were no serious disputes or accidents during the holiday. Beijing Zoo received 450,000 tourists during the holiday. Four visitors were each fined 50 yuan, roughly 7 U.S. dollars and 50 cents, for feeding animals. It was the first time the zoo has issued tickets to tourists for this reason.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing.China has signed agreements on the mutual recognition of higher education degrees with 19 European Union member countries including France, Germany and Italy.The Ministry of Education made the announcement at a briefing of the China-EU education ministers&`& conference and an Education Policy Dialogue between China and European countries.The two meetings were held in Beijing on October 11, and focused on the mutual recognition of credits between higher learning institutions in China and the EU, as well as the balanced flow of students between the two parties.More than 300,000 Chinese students were studying in EU member countries as of the end of last year. The figure represents almost a quarter of all Chinese students abroad and an increase of 7 percent from 2014.More than 120,000 Chinese students went to study in the EU last year, almost a quarter of all students who went abroad last year. At the same time, more than 45,000 EU students came to China, accounting for 10 percent of all international students studying in China. Last year also saw more than 3,000 EU students receiving scholarships from the Chinese government, a rise of 12 percent from the previous year. This is Special English.China&`&s seventh Arctic expedition using the Chinese icebreaker Xuelong has returned to its research base in Shanghai after a 78-day mission.The Xuelong set out from Shanghai in July and has since traveled 13,000 nautical miles to explore marine areas including the Bering Sea and the Canada Basin.The team has traveled as far as 83 degrees north latitude, and for the first time explored the Mendeleev Ridge in the Arctic Ocean.Scientists studied marine meteorology, geology and chemistry, and surveyed seven ice stations, while the expedition smoothly completed all its scheduled tasks.The expedition team laid several observation buoys in the oceans and explored deep strata by creating an artificial seismic wave.The Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, was equipped with two helicopters, research support and emergency equipment during the expedition. The Ukraine-built vessel was first put into use in 1994 and can break ice that is 1.2 meters thick.This is Special English.China will further tighten the land management of villa construction.The Ministry of Land and Resources said that compared with previous regulations released as early as 2003, the new rules will target terraced houses, semi-detached houses, and garden houses. The previous regulations suspended the land supply of detached villas only.Analysts say the measure is going to make villas scarce in the future. The adoption of the universal second-child policy in China has continued to drive the demand of villa sales, but villa owners are reluctant to sell their property.Data shows that the market price of villas in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong province, has seen a more than 10 percent increase, especially in the outskirts of the city. However, villa sales in the city have seen a 20 percent drop in the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year. The Chinese authorities have urged the local governments across the country to make better use of construction land. Cities and towns should specify their land use objectives before the end of this year to ensure a 20 percent cut in construction land use per unit of GDP by 2020. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to newsplusradio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That&`&s mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues.New rules requiring China&`&s e-commerce platforms to improve food safety management have come into effect as of this month.Third-party online supermarkets must take responsibility for poor-quality food products sold by stores registered on their platforms. The rules were formulated by the China Food and Drug Administration.Online platforms must establish a sound system to check vendors&`& qualifications and the quality of their products. Violators must be suspended from their operations in a timely manner.In another development, Chinese investigators in criminal cases will now be able to retrieve and freeze electronic data as evidence, as part of new regulations.The regulation allows courts and police authorities to retrieve electronic data, including that posted on websites, social networks and popular communication apps, by individuals and organizations implicated in criminal cases.Several other rules have also come into force, including one requiring professional test for drivers providing on-demand mobility services, and another one streamlining procedures for registering a new company. This is Special English.Online search giant Baidu is set to lose its top spot in China&`&s booming digital advertising market this year to its rival Alibaba Group.According to a report from London-based market research firm eMarketeer, E-commerce heavyweight Alibaba has so far notched up a 29 percent share of China&`&s digital ad market, equating to 12 billion U.S. dollars. eMarketer researches digital marketing, media and commerce.In previous forecasts, eMarketeer had predicted that Baidu, which uses search result listings to generate income from advertisers, would stay out in front. Last year, Baidu earned 28 percent of China&`&s digital advertising revenue, compared to Alibaba&`&s 25 percent.But eMarketeer has downgraded its outlook for Baidu this year as it has witnessed challenges in the past few months due to tighter government controls on search result advertising. Baidu&`&s digital ad revenue is expected to see sluggish growth this year. Meanwhile, Alibaba and Tencent will continue to surge ahead and report increases of 54 percent and 68 percent respectively.Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent are the top three firms in China&`&s internet industry. They are estimated to take a total of 60 percent in the country&`&s digital ad revenue of 42 billion this year.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing.China&`&s television regulator is moving to curb overvaluing and over-emphasis on TV stars during the purchase and broadcast of TV dramas.A circular was made public recently by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. The circular banned broadcasters from nominating actors, defining the range of actors for selection, or fixing the price based on the stars involved when they purchase or broadcast TV dramas.The administration said they should also avoid over-hyping stars during promotion of TV shows, adding that the shows&`& ideological significance, artistic style, production quality and teamwork should be highlighted instead.The circular states that a few TV stations have been pricing TV dramas simply based on the stars involved, which led to an unreasonable composition in the budget and an imbalance in distribution; and the practice hampered the industry&`&s healthy and orderly development.The administration asked broadcasters to appraise TV dramas in a more comprehensive way with their quality as the core criterion.This is Special English.（全文见周六微信。）

This is Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. Here is the news.Fishery experts are conducting a field investigation to assess damage to the ecosystem of the Yangtze River, after hybrid foreign sturgeons were washed away from a breeding facility in heavy floods. Scientists worry that the almost 10,000 tons of hybrid foreign sturgeons may now interbreed with the endangered purebred wild Chinese sturgeons in the river. The Chinese sturgeon population has declined to a dangerously low level, with only 100 thought to remain in the Yangtze, China&`&s longest river. Investigators from the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences said purebred Chinese sturgeons face a heightened threat of extinction as a result of interbreeding with the foreign and hybrid species over the coming months. Purebred Chinese sturgeons can be dated back 140 million years ago. But they are now on the razor&`&s edge of survival. The population of adult sturgeons was estimated at around 100 at the end of last year, compared with 10,000 in the 1970s.After a reservoir opened to release floodwater on July 19, more than 9,800 tons of foreign and hybrid sturgeons in Hubei Province were killed or escaped to the waters where wild Chinese sturgeons live. Floodwaters washed away the net-pen facilities used to raise the non-native species, causing huge economic losses. This is Special English.A pilot program will be set up to promote reform of China&`&s high school entrance exam. A guideline issued by the Ministry of Education said high schools should recruit students based on both their exam scores and a comprehensive assessment of their qualities. The pilot program will first be implemented in 2017 and then be expanded across China in 2020.For years, China&`&s education system has been criticized for its exam-driven curriculum, which focuses on memorizing textbooks and getting good test scores.The ministry said high school enrollment will not only depend on exam scores, but also students&`& morality, mental and physical health, artistic abilities and social skills.The exam will focus more on students&`& analytical and problem-solving skills, to promote innovative spirits. It will also encourage students to participate more in sports, as PE scores will be considered in enrollment.An official from the Shandong Provincial Education Department said the reform will provide diverse roads and fairer opportunities for students to succeed.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. A nonprofit educational project has been launched in China aiming at creating a more comprehensive and beneficial study environment for children with disabilities. The program, called Inclusive Education, was launched by the international organization Save the Children and the United Nations. It will be carried out in the next two years.A representative of Save the Children in China said that since many disabled children go to special schools, they do not get the needed opportunities to mix with the mainstream society. The Inclusive Education project believes in the philosophy of integrated education, as well as the right of disabled children to study in ordinary school with abled children.An official from the Chinese Society of Education said China has a large number of school-aged disabled children who are not getting the quality of compulsory education they need.Save the Children has launched a public campaign which calls for concerted efforts to help the children with disabilities, instead of neglecting or discriminating against them. "Let&`&s go to school together" is the slogan of the Inclusive Education project. The organization believes it also represents the need of many children with disabilities to make friends with abled children, learn useful knowledge and lead a hopeful life.This is Special English.（全文见周日微信。）

This is Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Here is the news. Chinese scientists are working on a new type of aerospace vehicle that will allow passengers to travel in space without any pre-training and at much lower cost. China Central Television reports that scientists from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation have started work on the new vehicle integrating different kinds of engine technology. The vehicle will use different air-breathing engines, allowing it to operate as a normal plane in the atmosphere. It will take off and land at a normal airport, instead of at special launch pads. The viehcle will be reusable, and cost will be greatly reduced. Scientist from the corporation said they expect to master the key technology in around three to five years, and significantly improve the vehicle's capabilities during the application. The vehicle is expected to be used for suborbital flight and orbital insertion by 2030. The expeditions will be between dozens to hundreds of kilometers from the earth. Compared with spacecraft which use partially recovered carrier rockets, by integrating different engines, the new vehicle has many more advantages in maintenance and application. In early July, it was reported that several institutes of the corporation were coordinating efforts to study the new vehicle. An engineer at the corporation said that in around 10 years, passengers will not need special training to travel into space on the vehicle. This is Special English. Chinese scientists have defined a subset of a type of virus-specific cell that play a vital role in the control of viral replication in chronic viral infection. The discovery will possibly pave the way for new ways to treat chronic diseases including HIV/AIDS and cancer. According to research published online by Nature magazine, virus-specific cells, CD8 +T, appear to deplete during chronic viral infection. However, according to the research findings, the cells are able to control viral replication in both animal models and HIV infection. Researchers found a unique subset that offers higher anti-viral potential than previously known, thus, showing greater therapeutic potential. The research also identified an important regulator for the generation of this subset. The research was led by the Third Military Medical University in Chongqing Municipality, with a number of partner institutions. It began in early 2013 with government financial support. Current therapies can only contain viral replication, but cannot purge them completely in chronic diseases such as HIV. Chinese researchers will now use the findings to further research into immunotherapy in cancer and HIV. You're listening to Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. A genome project for newborns has been launched in Shanghai to aid the early identification and treatment of hereditary diseases. The project was jointly initiated by the Chinese Board of Genetic Counseling and the Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai. It will carry out genetic testing on 100,000 newborn babies over the coming five years. The findings will be recorded in a database and a genetic testing standard for hereditary diseases will be developed, which will improve the identification and treatment of such conditions. Experts say early identification can help doctors make better treatment strategies and improve the patients' quality of life. In another development, the Chinese Board of Genetic Counseling and Reproductive Hospital, which is affiliated with Shandong University, jointly launched China's embryo genome project. An embryo genome database will improve research and understanding of the development of embryos and improve diagnostic rates. There are some 7,000 kinds of inherited diseases and China sees around 900,000 babies born with birth defects every year. This is Special English. Health experts are calling for sex education to be included in China's school curriculum. They say the lack of formal tuition, allied with misunderstandings and outdated ideas, is putting young people at risk of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. The topic has recently been at the center of a heated debate on Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter, after campaigners condemned a sex education textbook that claimed premarital sex has a "tremendously negative psychological and physical impact on girls". For thousands of years, sex could not be discussed openly in China. Even today, it is taboo in most of China's schools. According to Gou Ping, a professor of psychology at Chengdu University, sex education is a comprehensive definition and is a fully developed concept related to many other issues. The university is the higher learning institute in the country that offers sex education as a minor course. You're listening to Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Chinese firm FiberHome has developed a type of optical fiber that can transmit 400 terabytes of data per second, breaking the world record for the amount of data that can be transmitted using optic fibers. Such capacity can allow for simultaneous phone calls by almost 5 billion people and the transmission of 40,000 blue-ray high definition films in one second. The company is based in Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei Province. The transmission of 400 terabytes of data is accomplished on multi-core mono-mode optical fiber, which can be simply understood as breaking down the fiber into multiple paths to enhance transmission capacity. Such expansion in transmission capacity is a welcoming development amid growing demand for high speed transmission of data for VR, the Internet of Things, cloud computing and other emerging technology. This is Special English. Consumers in China will be entitled to a full refund on unsatisfactory products purchased online, even if the packages have been unsealed. A draft regulation that protects buyers' rights has been released by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and is based on China's consumer protection law. Public opinion is being sought until Sept 5. The draft says businesses must provide refunds to consumers within seven days of receiving returned products. The draft says the returned goods must be intact. The rule does not apply to several types of goods including those that can pose hazards to personal safety or health after being opened, or perishable goods that are near their expiry dates. Under China's consumer rights protection law, consumers can return goods for up to seven days, and get a refund for items that fail quality standards. In the case of goods purchased online or by telephone or television, consumers can make returns within seven days and get a refund without specifying a reason for most products. The only exceptions are four types of goods, including those that are perishable and prone to spoilage, as well as videodiscs that have been opened. This is the first draft regulation in China that specifies clearly that goods bought online can be returned for a refund, even if the packages have been opened. The regulation was made because there have been a number of disputes in recent years involving businesses refusing to offer refunds for goods that they sold online, using the excuse that the packages have been opened. You're listening to Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to newsplusradio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That's mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues. Archeologists have discovered more than 1,000 cliff paintings dating back more than 1,000 years in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Experts say the paintings are surprisingly well preserved, and feature sheep, camels, elks, tigers, wolves and people hunting. The images are believed to have been engraved by the ancient tribal people 1,500 years ago. The new findings are among many found across the Yinshan Mountains and will greatly inform research into ancient nomadic people. More than 10,000 ancient cliff paintings have been discovered in the area. In 2012, 18 cliff paintings dating back more than 4,000 years were discovered in the same area. Among them, a picture of seven human faces has been interpreted as the seven stars in the "Plough" constellation. This is Special English. China's largest Siberian tiger breeding center has announced that more than 50 tiger cubs have been born in the park so far this year. Located in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the Siberian Tiger Park is home to more than 1,000 Siberian tigers. Scientists handpick certain tigers, using a DNA database, to breed the next generation every year. Chief engineer Liu Dan said the park has been controlling the tigers' population to around 1,000 in order to maintain the ecological balance. The peak season for the breeding of Siberian tigers is in May and June. The cubs will be sent to the semi-wild environment after living with their mothers for around 100 days to learn how to hunt. Siberian tigers are among the world's most endangered species. They mostly live in northeast China and eastern Russia. The Heilongjiang Siberian Tiger Park was established in 1986 for better protection of the species. You're listening to Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Chinese internet company LeEco is in talks with online video-streaming site Netflix for possible cooperation in content. Details will be announced in September, as the Beijing-based firm steps up efforts to expand its presence in the United States. Analysts say that the deal, if goes through, could also serve as a steppingstone for California-based Netflix to crack its China market, which it has been eyeing for a long time. China Daily reports that LeEco was looking for content partners in the United States, where it will launch its smartphones and Televisions this year. The deal with Netflix will be announced in September. The news came shortly after LeEco spent 2 billion U.S. dollars acquiring Vizio, a major U.S. television manufacturer. It is expected to give LeEco around 20 million big-screen users. The firm also purchased land in California as the center for its overseas operations. LeEco started as an online video-streaming site, but managed a rapid rise by selling internet-enabled devices that are bundled with video content. Since January, the company has intensified efforts to go global, listing the United States, India and Russia as its key overseas markets. This is Special English. （全文见周六微信。）

This is Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. Here is the news. The production center for an innovative bus appears deserted with no sign of construction, raising questions about the scheduled launch next year. The bus is a sort of moving tunnel that straddles highway lanes to allow cars to pass beneath. The vehicle looks like a giant double-decker but is hollow on the ground level. Passengers can sit on the top floor while cars pass below. In December, a Beijing-based company signed a contract with the local authorities in Zhoukou city in Henan province to produce the Transit Elevated Bus in its research and manufacturing center. However, the Beijing Youth Daily reports that the site is now full of thick weeds; and farmers feed their sheep in the area. A local farmer surnamed Yuan told journalists that a groundbreaking ceremony was held last month. Yuan said "They built a platform. People who stood on the platform were dressed up. It seemed like it was a big day, but there has been no activity since." A local official said the project has been delayed. The environmental impact assessment of the project has not been approved yet, and many documents are still waiting to be signed. The contract includes an investment of 10 billion yuan, roughly 1.5 billion U.S. dollars, and an annual production of 1,000 buses. This is Special English. An insurance product has become a hot topic around the Qixi, the Chinese Valentine's Day, which fell on August 9th this year. It costs 600 yuan, roughly 90 U.S. dollars, and guarantees a payout of 11,000 yuan if the applicant marries his or her current sweetheart in three to 10 years. The applicants are required to submit non-marital status certificates for both prospective spouses when purchasing the product. If they marry within the specified time frame, they will get 11,000 yuan. A staff member with the China Taiping Insurance said there have been numerous phone calls inquiring about the product, but she declined to say how many policies have been sold. Some people saw the offer as smart marketing. They believe the insurance company set the bracket of years after painstaking calculations. Insurance companies cannot lose on the deal because the majority of sweethearts will break up. Others say it also shows that more than 5 percent of the sweethearts will finally become husband and wife. Relationships in big cities including Shanghai seem most fragile these days. Marriages are not long lasting. Almost 53,000 people divorced in Shanghai in 2014, second only to Beijing. Among them, 41,000 people were below the age of 40. The average age for marriage in Shanghai is 35 for men and 32 for women. In related news, flower prices in China started to recover ahead of the Qixi festival, after overproduction, combined with natural disasters, dampened sales. Last year, as many as 7 million flowers were sold during the festival at the Kunming International Flora Auction Trading Center. Seeing the profit, flower growers nationwide boosted their expectations and supplied most of their flowers ahead of the festival, which resulted in a 30 percent increase in flower production. However, disastrous flooding nationwide and unusually high temperatures since July have cut into demand. Torrential rains have caused massive outbreaks of diseases among flowers, damaging their quality and hurting business. You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. A genome project for newborns has been launched in Shanghai to aid the early identification and treatment of hereditary diseases. The project was jointly initiated by the Chinese Board of Genetic Counseling and the Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai. It will carry out genetic testing in 100,000 newborn babies over the coming five years. The findings will be recorded in a database and a genetic testing standard for hereditary diseases will be developed, which will improve the identification and treatment of such conditions. Experts say early identification can help doctors make better treatment strategies and improve the patients' quality of life. In another development, the Chinese Board of Genetic Counseling and Reproductive Hospital, which is affiliated with Shandong University, jointly launched China's embryo genome project. An embryo genome database will improve research and understanding of the development of embryos and improve diagnostic rates. There are some 7,000 kinds of inherited diseases and China sees around 900,000 babies born with birth defects every year. This is Special English. Chinese scientists are working on a new type of aerospace vehicle that will allow passengers to travel in space without any pre-training and at a much lower cost. China Central Television reports that scientists from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation have started to work on the new vehicle integrating different kinds of engine technology. The vehicle will use different air-breathing engines, allowing it to operate as a normal plane in the atmosphere. The plane will take off and land at normal airports, instead of using any kind of special launch pads. The viehcle will be reusable, and greatly reduce the cost of space travel. Scientist from the corporation said they expect to master key technology in around three to five years, and significantly improve the vehicle's capability during the application. The vehicle is expected to be used for suborbital flight and orbital insertion by 2030. The expeditions will be between dozens to hundreds of kilometers from the earth. Compared with the space shuttles and the partially recovered carrier rockets, by integrating different engines, the new vehicle has much more advantages in maintenance and application. In early July, the corporation said several institutes of the corporation were coordinating efforts to study the new vehicle. An engineer of the corporation said that in around 10 years, passengers will not need special training to travel to space on the vehicle. This is Special English. A Chinese firm FiberHome has developed a type of optic fiber that can transmit 400 terabytes of data per second, breaking the world record for the amount of data that can be transferred on optic fibers. Such capacity can allow for simultaneous phone calls by almost 5 billion people and the transmission of 40,000 blue-ray high definition movies in one second. The company is based in Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei Province. The transmission of 400 terabytes of data is accomplished on multi-core mono-mode optic fibers, which can be simply understood as breaking down the fiber into multiple paths to enhance transmission capacity. You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to newsplusradio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That's mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues. A training course for senior foreign police officers on United Nations peacekeeping missions has started in Beijing. It is the first time China's Ministry of Public Security and the United Nations have cooperated in this endeavor. The course focuses on passing on China's practical experience. The trainees include 17 senior officers from countries including Angola, Kenya and Liberia. Four Chinese peacekeeping police representatives will also attend the course. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced measures to back United Nations peacekeeping missions. Addressing a peacekeeping summit in the UN headquarters last year, President Xi declared that China will help train 2,000 foreign peacekeepers in the next five years. Since 2000, China has dispatched more than 2,400 peacekeepers to nine areas. At present, 170 Chinese police officers are still in Liberia, South Sudan and Cyprus. This is Special English. A new Confucius Classroom has been inaugurated Mexico. During the inauguration ceremony, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong said Mexican students' fluent Chinese and great performances made her feel the charm of cultural exchange. She also sees the bright future of friendly ties between China and Mexico. Bilateral relations were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Mexico in 2013. Liu said China hopes to work together with Mexico to deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields and bring more benefits to people of the two countries. Next year will mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Mexico. Liu said that along with the deepened cooperation between China and Mexico, more and more young people in China are learning Spanish. More than 30 universities teach the Spanish language in China. Meanwhile, she said, the Chinese language is also gaining increasing importance in Latin American countries. Mexico has established five Confucius Institutes that together have 30,000 registered students, making an important contribution to cultural exchange between the two countries. You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. Born in Harbin in northeast China, Maruyama Iwao was just 11 years old when he was repatriated to his native country Japan in 1946. Now 81 years old, Iwao's story has been made into a documentary entitled "Travel with Me: A Journey of Gratitude over 70 Years", which is being screened in China. The documentary tells the story of Iwao's recent bicycle trip, where he retraced the journey he made from Harbin to Huludao in Liaoning Province 70 year ago. He said that along the way, he was touched by the helpfulness of the Chinese people he met, just like in the old days. Tian Yuhong, vice head of China Radio International, which produced the documentary, said they would like the film to make people reflect on history, and enhance Sino-Japanese relations, and call for the respect of peace and life. When the war ended in 1945, more than 35 million Chinese people were killed or injured. During the following three years, more than one million Japanese people were sent back home. Iwao had the idea of retracing his journey in China in 2011 when he was working as a volunteer, following the massive earthquake in Japan. He met another man who planned to travel in China by bike and decided to join him. This is Special English. A survey has begun in the southwestern province of Sichuan to determine if wild giant pandas are at risk from epidemic diseases. Researchers will collect samples of droppings and hair across ten nature reserves in the province. The survey is the first of its kind in the province, and will be completed by the end of October. Sichuan is home to 1,400 wild giant pandas, accounting for 74 percent of China's wild panda population. The samples will be analyzed to identify the pathogens carried by the animals. Wild giant pandas are known to be carriers of pathogens, but a more detailed survey is needed to define the exact condition. This is Special English. （全文见周日微信。）

This is Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. Here is the news. China is studying how to retrieve and reuse manned spacecraft in its future missions. The chief engineer of the nation's manned space program said China's next goal is to reuse manned spacecraft to make its space exploration cost-effective. Reusable manned spacecraft are a Holy Grail of space exploration. The United States developed partially reusable manned spacecraft capable of reaching low Earth orbit. But they were all retired in 2011 due to high costs and risks, including an accident in 2003 that killed seven astronauts. The chief engineer did not go into any more details on the project, but stressed his team's focus on saving costs, giving an example from the Tiangong space lab series. Chinese scientists have managed to incorporate all tasks planned for the third generation of the lab into the second generation. There has been no need to develop the third generation. He said China's space station will be completed around 2022. It will be a green model, with highly advanced and budget-saving facilities in flight control, power supply and waste recycling. Earlier this month, US rocket developer SpaceX achieved a world first by landing one Falcon rocket on a carrier at sea. China was paying close attention to such innovation and was testing its own reusable rockets, promising a breakthrough before the end of 2020. This is Special English. The Ministry of Education has told parents its efforts to ensure more children from poor backgrounds getting a college education will not hurt the chances of students from more affluent parts of China. The ministry said its changes to the enrollment policies of this year's gaokao, the national higher education entrance exam, will not mean children from developed parts of China will lose out. The event follows a heated discussion in China about the changes to the gaokao enrollment policies. A recent directive from the ministry means there will be a redistribution of cross-provincial quotas for some provinces. According to the directive, universities in some more developed provinces with rich tertiary education resources will have to take a large number of students this year from less developed regions. The more developed provinces include east China's Jiangsu Province and central China's Hubei Province. The two provinces will take in more students, who pass the gaokao, from areas including Tibet and Xinjiang in western China. The quotas for larger enrollment are understood to be significantly increased from previous years, but there are no hard numbers available. The directive created a public outcry from parents in two provinces. Some parents protested in front of local education bureaus, claiming the redistribution will mean fewer local students being enrolled to colleges and universities. The ministry has said that the move is aimed at further boosting equal access to higher education and narrows the gap between developed regions and their poor counterparts. The university entrance exam is seen by students and parents in China as one of the most important milestones in life. This is Special English. Chinese police have launched a mobile app to encourage witnesses to report the whereabouts of missing or trafficked children. More than 5,000 anti-trafficking police will provide updates to the app on receiving new reports of missing children. Users near the location where a child disappeared will receive push notifications, including photos and descriptions of the missing child. The scope of these push notifications will be expanded over time. Information will be available to the public at the platform's official Sina Weibo account. Police will cooperate with new media outlets and mobile apps to encourage the public to help in anti-human trafficking work. You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. The first Chinese-Russian university plans to enroll its first group of students this year. Located in Shenzhen in Guangdong province, the MSU-BIT University marks a milestone in educational cooperation between China and Russia. Postgraduate students in Nano science and ecology will be enrolled in the new Shenzhen MSU-BIT University in September after it gets official approval from the Ministry of Education. The university is going to enroll undergraduates from next year. MSU-BIT is run by Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Beijing Institute of Technology and the Shenzhen government. It is the first such cooperation between Chinese and Russian universities. The university plans to enroll a total of 5,000 students from home and overseas in the near future. Thirty to 50 percent of them are expected to come from countries along the ancient Silk Road. Students will be equipped with multilingual capabilities, and the classes will be taught in Chinese, English and Russian. The number of students studying in each other's countries has been growing. More than 16,000 students from Russia studied in China last year, while more than 25,000 Chinese students studied in Russia. This is Special English. China's first Confucius classroom in a prison has opened in East China's Shandong Province. The classroom opened in Luzhong Prison in central Shandong as part of a charity program funded by the China Confucius Foundation. The provincial prison management bureau said the prison will pilot a series of changes, including classroom and library design, as well as training prison instructors in Confucian teachings. The activities aim to improve the prison's cultural atmosphere. The classroom will feature Chinese calligraphy, literary classics and moral education. Named after the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius schools and classrooms are generally run as non-profit public institutions to help foreigners understand China through language and culture classes at overseas universities. The first such institute was established in 2004. You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. Almost 1,200 water-saving projects have been built in Beijing, saving up to 100 million cubic meters of water every year. Beijing's water authorities said water permeable bricks, sunken green fields and rainwater recycling facilities have been widely adopted in the city. Beijing recycled and utilized 160 million cubic meters of rainwater last year. Beijing has been listed as one of the pilot "sponge cities" in China. The city's urban planning authorities said more wetlands, filtration pools and permeable public spaces will be added to make the city "spongier". Beijing once relied heavily on groundwater. Excessive exploitation has led to decline of groundwater levels and subsequent subsidence. You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to newsplusradio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That's mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues. A doctor from Shanghai has saved a woman who passed out on an international flight from Shanghai to Los Angeles in the United States. After receiving treatment from the doctor, the woman finally regained consciousness. Zhao Yingchun is the chief doctor at Shanghai Songjiang District central hospital. He took the flight to attend his daughter's graduation ceremony on May 12. During the flight, Zhao heard a public announcement seeking help for a fainted passenger. He rushed to the passenger trying to give her immediate emergency treatment. The middle-aged woman had suddenly fainted and had been in a coma after returning to her seat from the lavatory. The medical devices provided by crew members were only a stethoscope and a blood pressure monitor. He could not hear her blood pressure due to the noise made by the plane engine. But Zhao still managed to treat the passenger. Fifteen minutes later, the woman mildly reacted, and after 40 minutes, was able to talk. He stayed with her for one hour, checking her breath and her heart beat every 5 minutes, until she was completely recovered. As the plane landed at Los Angeles airport, the crew members thanked Zhao for his timely aid and tried to give him 150 US dollars as a reward. Zhao did not take the money, saying it was what a doctor should do. The airline staff offered him free air miles and a souvenir to show their appreciation. This is Special English. Double-amputee climber Xia Boyu is around 1,500 meters away from reaching the summit of the world's highest mountain. Xia has reached a height of 7,280 meters on the 8,848-meter-high Mount Everest. According to a live broadcast on news portal sina.com, by the end of the day, the 65-year-old climber was expected to have reached camp C4, where he failed in his first attempt to reach the summit 41 years ago. Xia was born in Chongqing in southwest China. A violent storm in 1975 kept him at the camp at an altitude of 8,600 meters. He was then a new member of China's national mountaineering team. The attempt cost him both his legs. He suffered severe frostbite on his feet, after he gave his only sleeping bag to an ailing teammate. He became disabled. Xia says his confidence comes from years of hard physical training, which was only interrupted for a short period of time when he was diagnosed with cancer 10 years ago. Equipped with artificial limbs, Xia has climbed many mountains, with four of them being higher than 6,000 meters above sea level. You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. （全文见周日微信。）

This is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Here is the news. A Chinese rocket scientist has said that 110 China-made Long March rockets will take to the skies over the next five years, as more models are developed. The former head of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology Liang Xiaohong says the past decade witnessed a rapid increase in the number of Long March rockets launched. From 2011 to 2015, 86 Long March rockets were launched, and from 2006 to 2010 the number was 48. The scientist says the increasing number of launches within the five-year time frame shows that China's capacity in rocket design, production and management have been improved significantly. In addition, the next-generation Long March 5 heavy lift rocket and medium Long March 7 will debut this year, and the heavy carrier rocket system is in development. The new-generation rockets will use environmentally friendly propellant and will feature first-class space technology. The heavy carrier rocket, which is comparable to the U.S. Saturn V, is expected to be launched in 15 years, the thrust of which will be five times the current force. Moreover, it is expected that by 2020, China's Mars program will have begun, thanks to the Long March 5 rockets. Advanced stages including Expedition 2 will have been developed. This is NEWS Plus Special English. China will tighten quarantine measures against the Zika virus. Public health authorities say those from the affected regions should declare themselves to the quarantine staff when entering China, if they have suspicious symptoms, including fever, joint pain, rash, headaches and muscle pain. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said entry and exit quarantine areas should be equipped with test kits for Zika. It said effective measures should be made to eliminate mosquitoes in vehicles and containers from the affected areas. Guangdong Province reported China's 10th confirmed Zika case recently. A 40-year-old man returned from Venezuela with his family on Feb. 25. His two children tested positive for the virus on Feb. 27. The World Health Organization declared a global emergency in early February amid a Zika outbreak in Central and South America. China has also been on alert as experts warn the warming weather may facilitate the spread of the mosquito-borne virus. You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Almost 40,500 disabled people in China have been admitted to universities over the past five years, thanks to government subsidies. Following the release of a series of plans on special education in 2014, more than 100,000 disabled students received aid to continue their studies, while over 4,500 teachers received specialist training. At the elementary level, 71 percent of disabled children were accepted to nine-year compulsory education during 2011 and 2015. Disabled people in China have also enjoyed better social security services during the 12th Five-Year Plan period, as a basic living allowance was made available to more than 11 million disabled people nationwide. Moreover, 70 percent of China's disabled are now covered by a pension insurance program, with almost 6,000 nursing agencies providing services. In terms of employment, more than 21 million disabled people in China have a job, which lifted 5 million people out of poverty during the five years. There were 30 million disabled people across China registered in a state-level database for the disabled as of the end of 2014. This is NEWS Plus Special English. A joint research team of Chinese and European scientists has discovered some certain plants on the Tibetan Plateau can predict the occurrence of an Indian monsoon. Researchers found that dominant grass species, including bog sedge on the high mountains of Tibet, can predict when an Indian monsoon is coming by unfolding their leaves before it hits. The researchers recently published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports. It is the first time scientists have found some plants which possess sophisticated weather-forecasting abilities, and they think these plants are more adaptable to climate change. The researchers made the discovery as they investigated whether a sudden jump in temperature would interfere with a plant's biological clock, which might indicate climate change's negative impact on an ecosystem. Many plants fold their leaves during cold and dry winter months to protect themselves. Some fear that plants may unfold their leaves early in the event of an exceptionally warm winter. They analyzed observational records from five scientific stations on the plateau over the last two decades, and conducted experiments for seven years on a remote mountain slope in Tibet to test and prove their theories. This is NEWS Plus Special English. Australian animals that look "ugly" attract little or no research funding, leading to poor conservational outcomes. A study has found that Australian animals that scientists deemed "ugly" received minimal scientific attention in comparison to their more aesthetically-pleasing counterparts. Researchers from Western Australia reviewed scientific literature on 331 species of Australian mammals, and grouped each animal's appearance under one of three banners, "good", "bad" or "ugly". The "good" group included some of Australia's most recognizable native fauna, including kangaroos, echidnas and koalas; while the "bad" featured introduced, invasive species including rabbits, cane toads, cats and foxes. Some of the animals dubbed "ugly" were sub-species of bats and rodents, and according to researchers, that group makes up almost half of Australia's total fauna. Two types of bats, known for their peculiar looks, were the orange leaf-nosed bat and several species of ghost bats or false vampire bats. Associate Professor Trish Fleming from Murdoch University has been working on the study. He explained that scientists were not rejecting the ugly animals on purpose. He says these animals mostly come out at night and are small so they are not as obvious; they are also not considered to drive ecosystems but they are important organisms. You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. You can access the program by logging onto NEWSPlusRadio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That's mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues. A 3,000-year-old wheel, the oldest ever complete wheel to be found in Britain, has been unearthed during excavation work at the site of a Bronze Age settlement in England. Experts from Cambridge Archaeological Unit are carrying out the dig at a site in Cambridge shire known as "Britain's Pompeii". The experts say the wheel is the largest and earliest of its kind ever found in Britain. Archaeologists have already discovered the remains of what are Britain's best-preserved Bronze Age dwellings in a river channel near the city of Peterborough. The meter wide wheel was discovered sitting in sediments close to the remains of a dwelling house. It is still fixed to its hub. The experts say it raises a whole host of questions, mainly why is there a wheel in the remains of a river channel. Even more intriguing is that it is close to the remains of a horse discovered earlier. Archaeologists say the wheel may have belonged to a horse-drawn cart; but it is too early to know at the moment how the wheel was used. In such a marshy area, boats were thought to have been the most common method of transport, confirmed by the discovery of eight dug-out canoes of various sizes found nearby. This is NEWS Plus Special English. One of the most iconic structures in Britain, Blackpool Tower, has won a heritage award. Visible on a clear day from Wales and the English Lake District, the 158 meter high tower opened in 1894, inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Although it is the highest, the accolade, Grade One Listing from Historic England, is the first official recognition for its importance as a work of engineering. In its citation for the newly introduced heritage awards, the Institution of Civil Engineers said Blackpool Tower was "possibly the most instantly recognizable work of civil engineering in Britain". Darrell Matthews, director of ICE in Britain's North West region described the tower's nomination as really interesting because civil engineering is usually associated with more practical structures such as railways and bridges. But the tower, on the northern English coast of the Irish Sea, was "all about having fun". Matthews said there is no doubting the engineering skill that went into designing and building it, so it's a very worthy winner. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people ascend to the top of the tower in lifts, many daring to walk on a glass skywalk, staring down onto the ground below. The glass, 5 centimeters thick, can withstand the weight of two elephants. You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Sixteen captive Pere David's deer have been released to join their peers around central China's Dongting Lake. The deer, 11 female and 5 male, escaped captivity in the 1990s and were raised in a reserve in east China's Jiangsu Province. They were fitted with GPS devices before being reintroduced to the wild. Almost driven to extinction, around 100 deer were counted in the most recent census of the species around the Dongting Lake area in Hunan Province. It is hoped that the new additions will enrich the gene pool and boost the population. During a catastrophic flood in 1998, a handful of deer escaped from a nature reserve in neighboring Hubei Province, crossing the Yangtze River to settle in the reed beds and marshlands by the Dongting Lake. Pere David's Deer are believed to be endemic to China's subtropical areas. Chinese people call them "sibuxiang", meaning "it looks like none of the four". The name refers to the fact that the animal has a neck resembling that of a camel, a tail of a donkey, with cow-like hooves and deer-like antlers. Pere David's Deer was named after Armand "Pere" David, a Basque missionary and the first Westerner to introduce the animal to Europe in the late 19th century. The species became extinct in China by 1900 due to natural disasters and overhunting. In 1985, 22 specimens were brought to China from the world's only herd in Bedfordshire, Great Britain. This is NEWS Plus Special English. Life expectancy in Beijing rose slightly from 2014 to reach almost 82 years last year. An annual report by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning found that the life expectancy rose by 0.1 year from the figure in 2014. The infant mortality rate was 0.2 percent. The top three fatal diseases were cancer, heart disease and cerebral vascular diseases. It also pointed to increased medical expenses. Per capita medical expenses for outpatients at public hospitals stood at 440 yuan, roughly 67 U.S. dollars, up 4 percent from the previous year, adjusted for inflation. Per capita residential treatment fees were 20,000 yuan, a year-on-year growth of 5 percent. Beijing medical institutions registered 240 million patient visits, up 50 percent from five years ago. This is NEWS Plus Special English. （全文见周六微信。）

完整文稿看周日微信第三条，你懂的呦~ This is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Liu Yan in Beijing. Here is the news.China's Ministry of Public Security has unveiled measures to fight online crime.The ministry says Chinese Internet users easily fall victim to cyber-attack, Internet fraud, personal information leakage and other online crimes, which pose a big threat to national security and social stability.The ministry has vowed to increase cooperation with the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to prevent hacking and ensure data security.It will also improve surveillance by cyber police to curb illegal activities.The ministry says it will harshly crack down on pornography, rumors or information about terrorism, guns or drugs. This is NEWS Plus Special English.China will build a comprehensive network to detect pollution of the land, sea and air by 2020, employing satellites, drones and remote sensors to monitor the environment.The national leadership approved the network plan in July, saying the government will lead the monitoring, share information among departments and regions, and be held accountable if violations are found.The Ministry of Environmental Protection says satellites, a major tool for monitoring air pollution, will receive a boost this year. The ministry says it will accelerate research on two atmospheric environmental monitoring satellites and two satellites with higher resolution than those currently available.The ministry will improve a remote sensor network, which is scheduled to be released at the end of this year.Remote monitoring has played a bigger role in locating pollution sources. Drones helped authorities locate polluted areas in the Tengger Desert in northern China and identify scattered summer straw burnings.This is NEWS Plus Special English.The Chinese government's anti-corruption campaign has recovered 38 billion yuan, roughly 6 billion U.S. dollars, in monetary loss since 2012.According to the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Party Central Committee, a large number of corruption cases were investigated and dealt with accordingly during the period.The commission says the handling of the cases led to the recovery of economic loss, and the country is in the process of recovering more money.The commission has also confiscated 20 billion yuan, roughly 3 billion U.S. dollars, in illegal income, and turned it over to the state treasury. You are listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Liu Yan in Beijing.A public hospital in Beijing has agreed to allow a state-owned company to franchise their name and open a new hospital.Beijing Anzhen Hospital has signed a cooperative agreement with China Orient Asset Management Corporation to establish a comprehensive hospitalThe franchise means that China Orient Asset Management Corporation will be able to use Anzhen Hospital's name on the new branch, while funding the new hospital.Beijing Anzhen Hospital will ensure the quality of medical services at the new hospital by dispatching doctors and management teams. Orient Asset Management will pay for the service and management provided by the hospital.The move is expected to reduce the government's financial burden.Beijing began welcoming private investment into the public sector in 2013, encouraging social capital in transportation, parking facilities, medical and elderly facilities.Local authorities will supervise the companies who are involved in public sectors and control the risks.This is NEWS Plus Special English.The use of English is expanding in workplaces across China.According to the Chinese recruiting website 51job.com, multinational companies still top the workplaces at which English is needed. Almost 80 percent of employees who work for such companies said they use English on the job.But the recruiter also found growing use of English in unexpected places. More than 47 percent of employees at State-owned enterprises, for example, said they use English at work.Thirty-three-year-old Zhang Meng, an online game analyst who lives in Beijing, said he needs to use more English as his company is expanding its business to the United States and Europe.The online survey, which polled 2,000 workers, also found that more job seekers would like to apply for positions requiring English-language skills at work. This was especially true for those with bachelor's and master's degrees.Nearly 62 percent of respondents said they would like to choose jobs that need English skills. However, language skills do not necessarily guarantee the promotions and high salaries they once did.While more than 84 percent of respondents from first-tier cities said work promotions could be affected by English skills, 51job.com also attributed promotions to location and opportunities.This is NEWS Plus Special English.China has set up a foundation to help the Internet better serve the public and improve global Internet governance cooperation.The semi-official foundation, called China Internet Development Foundation, has been approved by the State Council and will be under the management of Cyberspace Administration of China.President of the foundation, Ma Li says their purpose is to let Internet development benefit all of the 1.3 billion Chinese people.Ma did not disclose how much money the foundation has raised. The foundation will also support the healthy development of China's Internet, safeguard Internet security, cultivate Internet talent and enhance international cooperation in Internet governance. You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Liu Yan in Beijing. You can access the program by logging onto NEWSPlusRadio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That'smansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues.The China Season of the 2015 China-UK Year of Cultural Exchange has been launched in London, revealing a series of events in the coming months.This came after the first half of the UK Culture Season in China has seen a great success.Besides the Chinese version of Richard III that was staged at the Shakespeare's Globe at the end of July, the China Season will feature performances from pianists Lang Lang, and performances from China's leading art groups.China National Peking Opera Company will also bring their shows to British audience in September and November.Moreover, Chinese elements will also be seen in the London Fashion Week and London Design Festival in September.Chinese cultural trade institute and universities from the two countries will hold Creative-Industry and Cultural Trade Forum of China and UK between September and October.Other events in a wide field, including museum professional training, mobile phone photo contest and Chinese films will also be launched in the second half of the year.This is NEWS Plus Special English.Archeologists in northeast China have begun an underwater investigation in the Yellow Sea to learn more about a war ship sunken by the Japanese navy during the first Sino-Japanese War 120 years ago.The investigation was launched in Dandong City, Liaoning Province, where the warship was found during an underwater exploration for port construction last year.Coded "Dandong No. 1", the still intact 50-meter hull is located 10 nautical miles southwest of Dandong Port. The inside of the ship has been badly damaged.Archeologists have concluded the 1,600-tonne vessel is one of the four warships of the Beiyang Fleet, the imperial marine forces of the Qing Dynasty government. Beiyang Fleet was destroyed by the Japanese navy in the "Battle in the Yellow Sea" in 1894.The four ships were China's most modern vessels. They were bigger and better armed than the Japanese fleet, but were slower and lacked ammunition. This is NEWS Plus Special English.China has exported more than 40 classical gardens from Suzhou, home of "China's English gardens", to 30 or more countries and regions.The gardens first went global in 1979 when Chinese horticulturists and architects were commissioned to build the Ming Xuan, or Astor Court, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.Although occupying only an area of some 400 square meters, the Court featured the quintessence of Suzhou gardens from zigzag corridors to carefully-cultivated rock structures and water features.The classical gardens of Suzhou originated from the eastern city in Jiangsu Province, and later became an aesthetic genre of classical Chinese landscape architecture.Shortly after the Ming Xuan debuted, several others appeared. Among the more famous are the Ruisu Garden at the Geneva-based headquarters of the World Trade Organization, the Garden of Flowing Fragrance at the Huntington Library in the U.S., and the Yili Garden in outskirts of Paris.You are listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Liu Yan in Beijing.The only surviving giant panda triplets on-record have celebrated their first birthday.The triplets are fit, each weighing around 30 kilograms.A manager of the park in southern China's Guangzhou, which is home to the cubs, says the three are now starting to become more independent.The triplets are more energetic and no longer stick together. They have begun trying to stand up, and run up and down a lot.The cubs are also starting to lose their baby teeth, meaning they're set to begin eating bamboo shoots and leaves.The birth and survival of the triplets a year ago was unprecedented.There have only been 4 recorded cases of giant pandas having triplets.This is NEWS Plus Special English.More than 10 rare cowfish have been spotted at a section of the Yangtze River.Local fisheries authorities say several fishermen in a township in Yichang City of central China's Hubei Province spotted the fish in the Yangtze River.According to the fishermen, it is very rare to see so many cowfish at the same time and the last time they saw it was more than a decade ago.Cowfish, listed under state second-level protection, live mainly in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Dongting Lake and the Poyang Lake.The total population of the species is only around 1,000. That is the end of this edition of NEWS Plus Special English. To freshen up your memory, I'm going to read one of the news items again at normal speed. Please listen carefully.That is the end of today's program. I'm Liu Yan in Beijing. Hope you can join us every day at CRI NEWS Plus Radio, to learn English and learn about the world.

完整文稿看周日微信第三条，你懂的~This is NEWS Plus Special English. I&`&m Liu Yan in Beijing. Here is the news.With the help of 3D printing technology, doctors in Shanghai have separated three-month-old twin sisters who were conjoined at the hip.The twins, born in east China&`&s Jiangxi Province, were connected by soft tissues at the lower spine. They had mostly separate digestive systems but shared one lower bowel.After a five hour operation in the Children&`&s Hospital of Fudan University, the twins were separated, and had their organs and muscles reconstructed.Doctors used 3D printing to build two models simulating the structure of the twins&`& connected parts, which helped them better understand case.Since 2000, doctors at the hospital have successfully separated seven pairs of conjoined twins.This is NEWS Plus Special English.Nine people have been detained in Jiangxi Province, east China, for posing as other students and sitting the "Gaokao", or college entrance exam.Local police said one of the suspects, 20-year-old surnamed Peng, is a college student in Wuhan, central China&`&s Hubei Province. Peng has confessed to the police and provided the information of five other substitute exam sitters.Peng and the other substitutes were organized by another suspect surnamed Zhao who hails from Shandong Province in east China. Zhao arranged accommodation for Peng and the others and supplied the exam passes.The scam was exposed by a reporter who had gone undercover as an exam substitute. The first suspect was caught on the first day of the exam.Over 9.4 million high school students sat for the Gaokao from June 7 to 9. Public security authorities across the country were working to clamp down on cheating activities including the distribution of wireless devices, and the practice of substitute exam sitters.This is NEWS Plus Special English.Shanghai will lower its exit and entry threshold on July 1 to attract overseas talent by adding 12 programs to the latest brain gain list.Overseas personnel introduced by the program will enjoy preferential policies in visa applications, residence permits, doing business in China, as well as exit and entry convenience.The new programs will be market oriented, transparent and more efficient.Shanghai also encourages overseas students graduated from Chinese universities to work or start a business in Shanghai.Local authorities promised to extend the period of validity of visas held by foreign business people and offer them favorable policies.The new programs also aim to improve service standards for overseas personnel during their entry, transit and residing in Shanghai.You are listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I&`&m Liu Yan in Beijing.Chinese scientists have completed sequencing the genome of the first case of imported Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, and found no evidence of variation that makes the virus more contagious.The genome map of the virus shows high homology with the MERS virus detected in the Middle East. Scientists believe the strain originated in Saudi Arabia.The result of the sequencing has been uploaded to GenBank at National Center for Biotechnology Information in the United States.By testing and comparing genome sequence of different strains, scientists may find effective measures to prevent the spread of the disease, which has a fatality rate of 40 percent.

请关注今天的微信头条查看全部文稿内容：搜索英语环球NEWSPlusA Chinese driver with epilepsy has been sentenced to life in prison for concealing his illness and causing a fatal accident that killed four people.The 45-year-old driver, surnamed Zuo, suffered an epileptic seizure when driving a car in downtown area in Yichang City in central China&`&s Hubei Province on May 1 last year. Without any premonition, the car suddenly veered to the opposite lane and ran into pedestrians under a bridge. The accident claimed four lives and injured eight others.According to Chinese law, those with epilepsy, vertigo, hysteria, mental disorder and Alzheimer&`&s are banned from getting a driver&`&s license. Those who deliberately conceal their illnesses will be punished if causing traffic accidents.Zuo has lodged an appeal.epilepsy n. 癫痫即俗称的“羊角风”或“羊癫风”，是大脑神经元突发性异常放电，导致短暂的大脑功能障碍的一种慢性疾病。据中国最新流行病学资料显示，中国约有900万左右的癫痫患者，其中500-600万是活动性癫痫患者，同时每年新增癫痫患者约40万。在中国，癫痫已经成为神经科仅次于头痛的第二大常见病。be sentenced to life in prison 被判终身监禁被判某某刑罚可以套用be sentenced to …的句型，to后的部分有这几种常见形式：坐具体年数的牢（5 years in prison）；终身监禁（life in prison）以及死刑（death）。seizure n. 癫痫发作premonition n. 预兆，预先警告veer vi. 改变方向或路线例句：If you are driving at a high speed and you suddenly veer toward a different direction, it's very easy to cause an accident. Trust me, you can never be too careful. （假如你在高速行驶时突然改变方向，是很容易造成车祸的。相信我，小心驶得万年船。）vertigo n. 晕眩眩晕是因机体对空间定位障碍而产生的一种动性或位置性错觉。眩晕可分为真性眩晕和假性眩晕。真性眩晕由眼、本体觉或前庭系统疾病引起，有明显的外物或自身旋转感。假性眩晕多由全身系统性疾病引起，患者感觉“飘飘荡荡”，没有明确转动感。hysteria n. 癔症，歇斯底里由精神刺激或不良暗示引起的一类神经精神障碍。大多发病突然，可出现感觉、运动和植物神经功能紊乱，或短暂的精神异常。患者具有鲜明的情感色彩，检查不能发现相应的器质性改变，在症状的发生和治疗当中，暗示和自我暗示常常起着重要的作用。Alzheimer's n. 即Alzheimer's disease，以前叫老年痴呆症，后因需要保持政治正确而改名为音译的阿尔茨海默氏症。曾做过详细讲解，不再赘述。lodge vt. 提出（要求、申诉等）例句：If you want to lodge a formal complaint, please do it quickly. That way, you can still remember the details vividly, and your complaint will be taken more seriously. （如果你想正式投诉，请抓紧。这样的话，你还能清楚地记住细节，从而使你的投诉得到更多的重视。）

详细内容请关注周六微信，或登录以下网址：http://172.100.100.192:9008/7146/2015/02/06/2582s865254.htmThis is NEWS Plus Special English. I&`&m Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Here is the news.Chinese President Xi Jinping has told senior provincial and ministerial officials to set a good example in abiding by the law.Xi made the remarks in a workshop on the topic attended by provincial and ministerial leaders. He says that though small in number, these officials are key to and have great responsibility for advancing the rule of law.The President observed that some leading officials had not performed their duties by law and had bent the law for personal gain; and such conduct besmirches the Party image and disrupts political, economic and social order.Xi has urged all Party members and government organizations and officials to abide by the Constitution and the law.He said officials should be clear about what the law allows and forbids, and where the law sets the boundaries when exercising power and doing their duty. He instructed them to use legal measures to deal with problems and disputes at work.President Xi said all Party and government work should be legal and violations should be punished.To make sure that senior officials understand and follow the law, compliance with law will be a major factor in assessing performance. Detailed rules on assessment will be drafted.This is NEWS Plus Special English.China has completed its first high level biosafety laboratory in Wuhan, capital of central China&`&s Hubei Province.The construction took more than a decade and the lab will be used to study "class four pathogens", or P4. P4 refers to the most virulent viruses that pose a high risk of aerosol-transmitted person-to-person infection.Its completion was hailed by China&`&s top science think tank as crucial in the fight against epidemics including Ebola.China began to build the lab in 2003, after the outbreak of SARS, the severe acute respiratory syndrome. Most of its technology and equipment was imported from France, which cooperated closely with China in its design.The lab enables China to join just a handful of developed countries operating such facilities to help handle the most virulent pathogens.The lab is expected to play a crucial role in enhancing China&`&s ability to prevent and control new epidemics as well as to develop related vaccines.Chinese researchers plan to use the new P4 lab to conduct research that includes working on the Ebola virus. This is NEWS Plus Special English.China&`&s deep-sea manned submarine Jiaolong suffered an engine failure in the southwestern Indian Ocean recently and was forced to surface ahead of schedule.Before the submarine reached the seafloor, the crew received an insulation alert and managed to deal with the problem.When the scientists started to work on the sea floor, they heard a loud noise from the submarine and it continued.Engineers on the support vessel suspected the noise to be an engine problem and ordered the submarine to surface. The submarine was pulled back to the support vessel at around noon on Saturday, five hours ahead of schedule.The malfunction was later found to be the head engine failure. Engineers have replaced the broken engine.Jiaolong, China&`&s first deep-sea submarine, dived 7,000 meters in the Pacific&`&s Mariana Trench in 2012. It is on a four-month expedition in the southwestern Indian Ocean.